The Cries of Kingdom Hearts
by Musical Crow
Summary: Kairi was just a normal island girl. Stumbling across a hidden cave while exploring her home, however, changed her life dramatically. Caught in something of cosmic importance, she has to learn to survive... Alternate Universe/Adventure
1. Chapter I: Light

**Light**

Destiny Islands. A small archipelago to the far end of the Western Sea, it only had one island large enough to inhabit.

The main island, simply called Destiny or Central Island, acted as the gateway to the archipelago. Incoming ships landed at a Town called Destiny Port, on the eastern tip. West of Destiny Port, small mountains and tropical forests sat in the center. Destiny Town rested at the foothills of the mountains, and served as the capital of the archipelago. Residential homes spanned the island; some small beachfront shacks while others were larger homesteads. No other real towns existed. All in all, only a few hundred inhabited the entire archipelago.

Besides Destiny Island, all the other islands were small, small enough that you could walk around most of them in a few minutes. Some residents of Destiny Islands, fishermen mostly, had some small huts or shacks, occasionally a storehouse, and nobody actually lived on the smaller islands for any long period of time.

The archipelago was part of a government called the Southwest Islanders Coalition that spanned hundreds of islands. The Destiny Islands were the most westward group and the most isolated.

Life in the Destiny Islands was simple. It focused on the sea, mostly. Fishing was a large portion of business, as was shipping. Food consisted largely of fish and tropical fruits, but some domesticated animals were a part of the cuisine.

Sailing was second nature to most islanders. Most families had a sizable boat, or more, and it functioned as a second home to them.

The tropic sun beat on one of these, this one a small boat, small enough for one person to sail easily. It was anchored in shallow waters near a small island, and the owner, a red-haired girl of fifteen, sat calmly in it.

"Ahh, it's such a beautiful day," she said, stretching. She glanced across the water towards the nearby isle. Lush, green vegetation, white sand… Identical to just about any other island in the archipelago.

She stood, grabbed a waterproof pack, and dove into the sea. Surfacing a moment later, she made her way to shore.

Despite it seeming just like any other island, the girl had come to this island for a reason. She had chanced upon it a few weeks prior and had discovered something unique.

Large rocks had formed a small cave, which undergrowth had obscured. She had finally found enough time to come out here again and explore.

As soon as she hit sand, she sprinted up the beach and headed into the thicket. The mouth of the cave sat where she remembered, descending into the soil. She glanced behind her. The white beach extended to the sea, and her small boat floated in the distance.

She entered the cave. Small enough to cause her to duck, it descended and twisted to the left. The sounds of faintly howling wind and water dripping echoed. She followed where the tunnel led.

It turned out almost exactly as she suspected. The tunnel quickly transformed into a larger cavern. Sunlight spilled in from an opening at the top of the cave and reflected off a pool of water that dominated over half the floor.

She peered into the pool. It was laminated enough for her to see the bottom, which was sandy with small vegetation. A small crater formed at the center of the pool, with no vegetation growing in it.

"Oh, wow!" She exclaimed, recognizing it for what it was. "A spring!"

She immediately stepped into the shallow pool. The cool water caused her to shiver, but she quickly adjusted. The pool, to her satisfaction, wasn't stagnant. She could feel a faint water flow at her legs.

She held her breath and sunk under the surface to look around. The water flowed through an opening in the wall. She moved towards it and felt the water flow, which was light.

She breached the surface and moved back to the edge, where she left her pouch. After a second of searching through it, she pulled out a glow stick. Breaking it and grabbing her bag, she dove back towards the opening. After taking another breath, she cautiously moved through it, the light of her glow stick illuminating the tunnel.

It extended a few feet before opening into another large pool. Needing a breath but not wanting to bust her head on a rock, she slowly drifted to the top of the pool, hand extended. When she breached the surface and felt nothing, she allowed her head to surface and took a breath.

The cave was much like the previous, but the entire thing glowed under the green light of her glow stick.

"Amazing…" she said as she stared up. The cave walls were made of some type of crystal, and it reflected the light she carried. She moved over to the far end of the pool. It had an edge like the previous cave, and she climbed out of the water.

After sitting a moment, she moved towards one of the crystals on the wall. Inspecting it closely, she became confused. What appeared to be water, or a clear liquid of some type, at least, flowed inside the crystal. She tapped on it, but it felt like any other smooth stone.

"I've never seen crystals like this before…" she mumbled. She turned away and examined the rest of the chamber. The light faded curiously in a corner, and she moved to investigate it.

The floor dropped and another tunnel exited the room, its walls sparkling faintly. She slowly moved down it. Unlike the entrance tunnel, this one descended quickly and gradually widened out.

Soon, she found herself in another cave. This one, though, was considerably more alien. It was crystalline like the last, but the crystals were larger and caused the room to be almost cylindrical. No pool of water existed, but the floor was filled a few inches up with accumulated water.

An ethereal blue glow lit the room, outshining her glow stick. She hardly noticed any of this, though. What caught her attention was on the opposite wall.

Two large crystals reached from floor to ceiling, and inside each floated a human figure.

* * *

A few minutes later, the girl burst out of the entrance of the cave, breathing heavy and absolutely terrified.

She leaned against a tree and slid down.

"Wha… what was that?" she said. She sat there for a while, contemplating everything.

After about an hour, she glanced up. Black storm clouds sat ominously on the horizon. She groaned upon seeing them. She had no hope of reaching home in her little pram before the storm hit, and it looked like a massive storm.

She glanced at the cave mouth. It would have to be her shelter for the night, at least. The wind whipped her hair.

_But first…_ She sat her pack down and headed for the water. She would have to secure her boat. She swam to it, removed the daggerboard and started swimming it to the beach.

After she had dragged it up the beach a ways, she took her things to the cave mouth and returned to the boat. Her pram was built to disassemble in case of a storm, so she pulled up the mast and carried it to the cave.

After securing her boat as best her ability, she returned to the cave. The winds had strengthened and the storm clouds had drawn closer. She brought her supplies into the cave and huddled against the wall.

She tried not to look towards the passage to the other chamber, where the-

_No_, she thought, shaking her head. It did no good to think of it. The wind howled, the opening in the ceiling causing the chamber to moan. The damp chamber chilled.

She rubbed her arms. She had not dressed warmly, and it was rather cold in the cave. She finally glanced at the pool. It would probably be safer to be in the other chamber, considering how this one was formed.

She reluctantly stood up. After checking to make sure her pouch was secure, she slowly walked to the pool. Activating another glow stick, she dove into the water.

The tunnel was short, but the swim was unusually long, at least to her. She surfaced and held up her light. The chamber glowed like before, but she hardly noticed.

She left the water, shook herself and moved to the opposite side of the chamber from the other passage.

She sat down and huddled again. Her heavy breathing echoed in the chamber them, which was as quiet as she suspected. She unintentionally glanced at the 'other passage'. The light reflected off the crystals and into the passage.

She slowly drifted off to sleep…

* * *

She dropped slowly down through the black sea. A brilliant light glowed beneath her, and she twisted weightlessly down to it.

She came to a slow landing on her feet, the weightlessness lifting. The platform she stood upon glowed in myriads of colors. Like shards of stained glass, their sources swirled around the glass image of a brilliant, heart-shaped moon.

A smooth glass walkway ascended to glass-like tower, and she walked towards it, as if in a daze. She felt as though she was watching herself walk across the platforms, her consciousness detached from her body

Platform after platform she walked across, each showing stained glass images of fantastic scenes, colorful characters and intriguing worlds.

Eventually, the walkways ended at a tower that resembled her home islands, beset by waves and storms. As she gazed across the image, she felt her body waver and she fell down. The platform shattered into millions of pieces as she fell through it, faster and faster, the shards of glass blended around her in a portrait of colors.

Eventually, the colors vanished, then the blackness of the sea around her, and then she breached the surface, it seemed, and she was falling through the clouds. She glanced upwards as she fell and saw the massive form of that heart-shaped moon she saw in the image. The moon reflected the first rays of dawn. She fell through dark storm clouds, the sight above being obscured.

She fell out of the clouds towards a gray, stormy sea. She felt her descent shifting until she flew parallel with the sea below.

She looked ahead. The clouds above had parted, revealing the moon to her, bathing everything in silvery light. The little island with the cave sat alone in the sea, directly ahead of her. Ominous clouds, like smoke, rolled towards her and the island. Bolts of lightning flashed within the clouds.

She held her hand forward, reaching for the island. The moon glowed and stars fell down to the sea. Something shot out of one of the stars and flew towards her hand. By the time she wrapped her hand around the object, brilliant white light flooded her vision.

* * *

Her eyes shot open.

She still sat in the cave. The glow stick sat at her feet, glowing dimly.

_Must've been asleep only a few minutes,_ she thought. _What a strange dream…_

She sat there, staring at her feet until the light finally faded.

Something strange happened at that moment. The chamber lit up, brighter than before. She glanced up. The crystal cave lit up, each crystal glowing brilliantly. The light from the other passage glowed brighter than all the rest of the chamber, and she squinted.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she stood up. _Enough is enough_, she thought.

She slowly descended towards the other chamber. The light emanated from the two crystals that held the mysterious figures. The liquid inside the crystals was bubbling like it was boiling. She could make out the two figures clearer now.

Both were boys about her age. The one on the left had brown hair while the one on the right had silver hair and appeared older and taller.

The girl approached the left crystal to look closer. The boy floated weightlessly in the crystal, his eyes closed in a deep sleep.

She reached out to touch the crystal, but as soon as her fingertips touched the surface, the crystal flashed. She jumped back as the second crystal did likewise, followed by all the crystals in the chamber.

The whole room brightened again, and then the smaller crystals all dimmed and went out. Only the two large ones remained glowing. The crystals pulsated with light, and she could hear a faint humming.

Then a sharp cracking sound echoed in the chamber. The two crystals split open, water pouring out. The openings widened, and the two boys fell out. The water from the crystals had filled the chamber, making a shallow pool, and that was what they fell into.

With hardly a second thought, she moved to drag them out of the pool. She grabbed the brown-haired one first, because he was face down in the pool, and pulled him over to the edge of the pool.

Before she could get the other one, she saw two blue eyes, dim from sleep, staring up at her.

"Wh… who are… you?" he said, voice weak.

"Kairi," she answered. "My name is Kairi. Go back to sleep."

He nodded tiredly. "So… ra… 'M Sora…"

* * *

Fin

No authors note at this time.

All reviews appreciated.


	2. Chapter II: Obscured by Clouds

**Obscured by Clouds**

The storm had not stopped, so she was still trapped inside the small cave. Her two new friends were sleeping soundly on the cave floor.

Until the storm passed, she could not leave the island. And she had no idea as to what her parents would say when she returned home with these two mysterious boys. And although she did not believe them to be dangerous, she had made sure to place several blunt rocks in arms reach.

Kairi was restless. She had already scoured all the main caverns, the depths of the pool, and had taken a risk to check upon her pram. (Which seemed to be fine, as far as she could tell.)

Thusly, she had done all that was to be done, so she sat waiting for whether the storm to pass or for the two boys to awaken.

_His name was Sora. I think,_ Kairi thought. That is what she thought she heard him say before he fell asleep again, at least. _I wonder what the other boy's name is…_

As if on cue, she heard a groan. The silver-haired boy was sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Where am I?" he said, his voice groggy. She slowly stood and approached him.

"Uh, hi," she started, catching his attention. She smiled. "I'm Kairi. Who're you?"

He stared at her a second before replying. "Riku," was his answer. "Where am I?"

"You're in a place called the Destiny Islands," Kairi answered. "I found you and your friend in this cave."

"Why are we still here?" He asked, looking around the chamber. He noticed Sora and walked over to him, kneeling to check on him.

"Well, I was exploring this cave when a storm hit," she replied. "I can't get home until it passes."

"Why?"

_He's full of questions…_ observed Kairi. "Well, we're on an island. Why do you think?"

"Right," he conceded. He rose and started searching the chamber, almost anxiously.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why were you here?"

He stopped in his tracks and stared at a wall, a far off look in his eye. "I… don't remember," he answered.

_Oh, awkward_, Kairi thought. She stood there a moment in silence. Riku finally turned to her.

"Anyway," he said. "How do you get out of here?"

"Over there," Kairi answered, pointing to the pool. He glanced at the pool, considered it, then shot her a questioning look.

"There's a tunnel underwater. I had to swim to this room," she explained. He sighed and nodded. "You can swim, right?"

"I think so," he said. He walked over to his sleeping friend and kicked him in the side. "Come on Sora, get up."

Sora grunted but did not awaken, so Riku kicked him again. The sleeping boy sprang up suddenly. "Cut it out!"

Riku moved away. Sora looked around. He spotted Kairi and smiled sheepishly, then stood up.

"Hi," he greeted. "Umm, Kairi, right?"

Kairi nodded. The room became uncomfortably quiet. Riku was pacing the room, and he kept looking down at his right hand, like he was looking for something. Sora looked nervous and uncomfortable, not knowing what say.

"Umm, I'm going to check to see if the storm has let up," she said. Sora responded with nod and smile, while Riku grunted.

Kairi quickly stepped into the water. The cold water chilled her, but, wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible, she dove under and headed for the passageway.

* * *

Sora watched the red-haired girl disappear under the water and vanish.

_Huh_, he thought. He heard Riku walk up to him, and Sora spun around to face him.

"Sora," Riku said. "What do you remember?"

_Cutting to the chase, like always_, thought Sora. He thought about what Riku asked him for a moment. "I don't really remember, Riku. Besides waking up all wet and seeing Kairi, all I remember are a bunch of-"

"Colors and sounds," Riku finished for him. Sora nodded. Riku sighed.

"What if we check out the chamber we woke up in?" Sora offered. Riku contemplated it and then started walking towards the descending tunnel that led to the other room.

Sora followed, and in a few moments they were both standing at the shallow pool of the chamber they woke up in.

While all the crystals on the wall glowed, the two large crystals were a dull gray color. The openings in them were large enough for a body to fit through, and the two boys could easily stand up inside them.

Sora approached one of them and looked around inside it. The walls were damp, but besides that, they held nothing else of note.

Sora glanced over to Riku and saw him partially standing up inside one of them, inspecting the top of the opening.

The taller boy quit what he was doing and stepped down. He leaned against the crystal and a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"I don't remember this place," Sora told his friend. "I don't know where I am at all, really. All I remember is, well, we're friends, and we've been friends for a long time. Probably, anyway."

"Destiny Islands," Riku said after a moment. Sora looked over at him.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"That girl said were in a place called the Destiny Islands," Riku answered. He stepped forward and headed out of the room. Sora lingered a second before following him.

Kairi was sitting on the edge of the pool when they reentered the chamber.

"Oh, there you guys are," she greeted. "Good news! The storm's letting up."

"Enough to leave?" Sora asked.

"Umm, no. Not in my boat at least," she answered. "But we could probably go to the mouth of the cave, if you guys want."

"I'm up for that," Sora replied. He glanced over to his friend. "What about you, Riku?"

He nodded and walked their way. Kairi smiled. She picked up her pack and reached into it.

"Okay, it's just a short swim. You can both swim, right?" Sora and Riku cautiously nodded. "Good, but you're gonna need this," she pulled out a glow stick from her pouch. "Last one. We don't need to bash our heads against a rock, or anything."

She handed the object to Sora, then waded turned and waded into the pool, then gestured for them to follow. After they both entered the pool, Kairi dived under the water and disappeared. Sora broke the glow stick and followed her, Riku behind him.

What Kairi said was true, the swim was short and none of them had any problems getting through the underwater tunnel. As Sora pulled himself out of the pool, he looked around. The room was plain rock, as opposed to glowing crystal, and it was noisier. But it made for a nice change of scenery.

He stood up and shook the water off of himself. Glancing down, he took his first real look at himself since awakening, and was a bit confused.

What he was wearing was simple, almost unremarkably so. Simply a shirt and pants of the same color, and they had no defining symbols or logos at all. They seemed more like pajamas or clothing one would get at a hospital than everyday clothes.

Considering he did not like them, he guessed he was not wearing them because he wanted to. Glancing up, he noticed Riku was wearing the same thing.

Shaking himself, he returned to looking over the room. A few small bags lay in one corner, and Kairi stood over them. Near the bags was what looked like a few poles and a cloth.

_Kairi's things and a sail_, Sora concluded. _I wonder how I know that when I don't remember how I got here…_

The sound and smell of rain filled the room. He followed he sounds to a small tunnel, then headed for it. He ascended the rock tunnel, where a few puddles of water had formed, and approach the exit of the cave.

He had no point of reference for cardinal directions, but the wind was blowing the rain from his left. He ducked back into the cave. The storm was still going, and Sora could not tell whether or not the storm was really dying, like Kairi said.

Sora exited the tunnel and reentered the main chamber. Kairi was sitting at her bag, while Riku slipped into the tunnel after Sora stepped out. He awkwardly stood in the room.

"So, umm, Kairi," he started. "When the storm stops, what do we do?"

Kairi looked up at him. "Well, we check if my pram is undamaged and then we sail to the main island," Kairi answered.

"And if it isn't undamaged?"

"If there's a hole," Kairi said. "We try to patch it. And if the damage is too much, we try island hopping until we catch a ship. Or wait for a rescue ship."

"Huh," Sora replied, sitting down. "How do you know there'll be a rescue ship?"

"Full of questions, aren't you?" Kairi said, laughing a little. "And it's because my parents know I was out yesterday, so they'll probably send people out for me."

"Sorry," Sora said. "But I… don't really know what's going on."

Kairi shook her head. "No, I understand. You're confused, I bet," Kairi said. She stood up and walked towards him.

"I'm sure this'll all work out," she said, leaning over to look him in the eye. "And I'm sure you'll remember everything, eventually."

Sora smiled up at her, and she smiled back.

"If you two are done," Riku interrupted. "The rain's stopped."

Kairi was first to move. Sora barely had the chance to stand up before she brushed past Riku and ran out the cave.

Sora followed her out. Riku was right. The rain had stopped, and large pockets of sky were visible through the clouds. Kairi was kneeling over her boat, inspecting it for damage, he guessed.

"What's the verdict?" Riku asked, walking up to her.

"It looks okay," Kairi answered. She moved around it, looking for any holes. She stood up, apparently satisfied, and turned to Riku.

"Help me flip it over," she told him. He nodded and she turned to Sora. "Sora, can you run into the cave and get the mast and the wooden box from my things?"

As they worked, he ran to the cave. Carefully picking up the mast and sail, he carried it outside before returning for the box.

Kairi and Riku already had the boat flipped over and were setting the mast up. Kairi looked up at him.

"Thanks," she said. "Can you go get my other bags, please?"

Sora set the box down and ran to do the errand. Besides Kairi's little pouch, there were two bags of small size and he easily carried them out.

By the time he returned, the others were done.

"Thanks a bunch," Kairi said. "Come on, let's move this thing to the water."

The three of them easily carried the boat to the water. When they were in deep enough water, Kairi climbed into it and Riku ran to grab the bags while Sora held the boat.

"So this is good, right?" Sora asked. Kairi hummed in acknowledgment.

"I'd like to leave soon. It might start raining again," she said. Sora nodded.

Riku waded up with packs and started handing them to Kairi. As she started stowing them in their respective places, Riku took a step back.

"Kairi," he said, catching the girl's attention. "Can this boat hold the three of us?"

She paused in her work and studied the boat, looking at them once or twice.

"Probably," she finally answered. "I mean, it'll be a bit cramped, but I've been in worse."

Riku shook his head. "It's too long a ride. Me and Sora will stay here. You head home and get help."

Sora looked at Riku a moment. He was about to agree, before he saw the look on Riku's face. _Wait a sec… _he thought.

Kairi seemed to realize the same thing he had: "You don't plan to stay here at all, do you?"

"What?" Riku said. "You think you can just go home and tell your family that you found two people sleeping in a hidden cave and expect everything to turn out well?"

Kairi looked indignant. Sora glanced back and forth between the two. _Maybe I should say something_, he thought, but before he could, Kairi spoke.

"What do you know about these islands?" She asked. "Can you tell me what fruits are edible and which ones aren't? Can you treat snakebites? There are a lot of venomous creatures that live on these islands, y'know."

"Despite that, you can't just tell them about our origins," Riku countered. "What you say about surviving out here makes sense, but if we do go to your island, we have to think of a cover story."

"You don't know anything about my home," Kairi said defensively. "The majority of people live on the main island, and my father is the mayor of one of the towns. You can't pose as an islander, because if he doesn't know you, he'll ask his friends who perhaps would, and they certainly don't! Furthermore," Kairi continued, cutting Riku off. "Posing as a foreigner wouldn't work."

"Why's that?" Sora questioned.

Kairi held up a finger. "First, my father and his friends were all world travelling sailors, so they're familiar with most parts of the world, or they have old friends who are," she answered. "Second, we're the most westward settlement in the known world! The only ships that come in are from the east, northeast or southeast. And you can't claim you two are sailors, because that would have them asking questions you couldn't even answer!"

Riku looked stunned at Kairi's outburst. Sora looked at his friend.

"Riku, she's right," he said. "We can't lie about who we are. We should just go before it starts raining again and worry about what'll happen later, later."

Riku looked between them before sighing in defeat. "Fine," he conceded. "Let's just go." He pulled himself up into the boat.

Kairi smiled at him, then down at Sora. He smiled back, and then pulled himself into the boat.

They were finally on their way.

* * *

Fin

All reviews appreciated.


	3. Chapter III: Weary Memory

**Weary Memory**

The vibrant green island dominated the horizon.

"Wow!" cried Sora. "So that's your island?"

"Yep!" Kairi answered. "You can see the residential houses there, where I live. The town my dad is mayor of is inland from there."

"So you think your dad will believe us," Riku said. "I would be skeptical."

"As long as we don't lie about it," said Sora. "And tell him what we know, I'm sure everything will work out fine."

Sora smiled and leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. Riku did not look convinced, but he said nothing in reply.

"Calm down, guys," Kairi said. "Don't worry, my dad's always been reasonable."

The three of them stayed quiet for a short while. Kairi sailed the boat around a small island, heading for the docks on the larger island.

Sora gazed across the water at the small island. Patchwork structures of wood dotted the island, including a tree house.

"What's that?" Sora asked, gesturing to the small island.

"We call it the Play Island," Kairi answered. "Island kids hang out there all the time. I used to play on it all the time."

That was the last conversation until they docked. They slowly pulled up to the wooden structure and while mooring the boat, the three unloaded the pram.

After they finished, Kairi stretched. "Ahhh, it's good to be home." She turned to Sora and Riku. "Okay guys, I've been thinking. I think you two should stay here at the docks and hang out while I go find my dad," Kairi said.

"So you told us about how understanding everyone would be, then tell us to stay here?" Riku asked.

"Well," Kairi said, a bit nervous. "He _is_ my father, and I've been gone for almost a day."

Riku seemed placated, but Sora looked confused.

"Huh?" he said. Riku punched him the arm.

"Worry about it later, Sora," he told the other boy. Sora rubbed his arm and shot Riku a disgruntled look, but complied.

Kairi giggled. "Okay guys," she started. "I'll be back quick."

Sora watched her leave. The storms had passed, so the sun shined down on them. They both stood there for a long while.

"It's nice here," Sora said after a while. Riku grunted in agreement. The older boy walked to the end of the docks and gazed out over the water.

Sora stood there, observing the houses he saw in the distance. He finally walked over to Riku and sat down at the edge of the dock.

"What do you think we should say?" Sora asked his friend.

"I think," Riku began. "I think we should do like you said. Tell the truth."

"Yeah," Sora said, smiling. "Besides what do we have to lose?

"Nothing, I guess," Riku answered.

* * *

As Kairi ran down the path towards her home, several of her neighbors called out in greeting. She tried her best to make haste, but many had stopped her to give her a brief greeting. They had not been a total delay, however. An elderly couple who she helped out quite a bit had informed her that her father was at home. They had also told her that he was one step away from launching a rescue mission if she did not return home soon.

She skidded to a halt in front of her home. Despite being the mayor's house, her family did not own a mansion, being smaller than some of her neighbor's houses. It was not, however, unkempt. Almost all houses on this part of the island were a sandy color with brown roofs, and hers was no different. It was well landscaped, with a yard full of flora and a waist high fence surrounding it.

Kairi opened the gate and ran towards the front door.

"Mom! Dad!" She said as she burst through the front door. Her house was rather open, with few walls, so she immediately saw her parents.

Iokani immediately jumped up and ran to her daughter, embracing her. Keon was a step behind her, and hugged them both.

"It's so good to see you safe, Kairi," Iokina said, breaking the embrace and stepping back. Keon laid a hand on her shoulder.

"We feared the worst," he said, his face grim. Then his visage lightened. "But you're okay. You being out was the biggest crisis we had after the storm. Nobody else was hurt or has gone missing."

"That's good," Kairi said. "But… I found something… um, something important, I think."

"Something important?" Iokina asked. "Something dangerous?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, definitely not. But it's important that daddy comes to the docks right away. You can, right daddy?"

Keon, who Kairi had always known to be a quiet and thoughtful but decisive man, nodded promptly.

"Very well," he said. "Where are we going?"

"At the docks," Kairi said. "Come on, I'll try to explain on the way."

* * *

It did not take long for Kairi and her family to reach the docks. Sora and Riku sat on the edge of the dock where she left them, staring across the water. Riku glanced back, noticed them and stood up. He said something to Sora, who then did the same. Keon glanced back at Kairi and Iokina.

"Wait here," he said. Before either had the chance to respond, he was already striding towards the two.

Kairi blinked. "Um, mom-"

"Don't worry," Iokina said, a smile on her face. "Your dad probably won't kill anybody."

"That's… nice. But not what I was going to ask," Kairi said.

"You're father's just doing his duties as mayor," her mother said. "The mayor who also goes shark harpooning with friends for recreation."

Kairi said nothing to this, and refocused her attention on her father. Keon approached Riku and Sora and greeted them. While she could not hear what they were saying, she could tell that Riku politely introduced himself and shook Keon's hand, while Sora was more enthusiastic in his greeting. They spoke for a moment, before her father turned around and gestured for the two boys to follow.

Keon calmly walked back down the docks. He paused at his family. "We'll talk at the house," he said simply, then continued walking.

Kairi and her mother followed quickly, with Sora and Riku a few steps behind them. The walk to Kairi's house was quiet and swift. She was a bit nervous, as it was a trip through an area where all the islanders commuted, and she knew that Riku and Sora drew in a lot of attention.

Besides this, the walk was uneventful. They reached her house and entered quietly. Keon led Riku and Sora into the den, but as Kairi moved to follow, Iokina grabbed her arm.

"Let's let them talk for a minute," her mother said. "It's lunch time and I'm hungry. Let's make sandwiches. You're hungry."

Kairi wanted to argue, but she could not deny she was starving. (She had not eaten since well before she met Sora and Riku.)

Iokina dragged Kairi into the kitchen and pointed at a bowl of fruit. "Cut," she directed Kairi.

"What are you making?" Kairi asked.

"Just some grilled fish and things," her mother said. "I already started on it for dinner. Anyway, after you're done there, take it out to them and then fetch the plates."

Kairi nodded and got to work.

* * *

Sora sat comfortably in a chair in Kairi's home, Riku sat in a seat beside him and Kairi's father sat across from him.

"Okay," the man began. "I'm Keon, mayor of Destiny Town and Kairi's father. My wife," he gestured towards the kitchen. "Iokina."

"I'm Riku."

"Sora," the brown-haired boy greeted. Keon nodded. Kairi entered and sat a tray of cut fruit on a coffee table, then quickly left the room.

"Kairi explained some things to me," Keon said. "But I want to hear your story."

Sora glanced over at his friend. The older boy nodded slightly in acknowledgement. They both turned to look at their host.

"I'm not sure what she told you," Riku began. "But Sora and I woke up in a crystal cave, on one of your islands."

Keon nodded, but said nothing.

"Neither of us remember much," Riku stated. "At least, I don't."

"Yeah," Sora injected. "I don't remember how I got in that place or anything before that, but I do remember certain things."

"Certain things?" Keon asked. Riku shot him a confused look.

"Well, I know me and Riku have been friends for a long time," Sora said. "And I know things that, if I had true amnesia, I probably shouldn't know."

"So, instead of amnesia," Keon started. "It's more like your memories were erased. Is that right?"

_That makes sense_, Sora thought, nodding. Riku leaned back and looked thoughtful.

"I agree," Riku said after a moment. "Despite not remembering anything from before I awoke, I recall several things, common facts. Like knowing how to swim. Anything else I know is more like a feeling than a memory."

"Interesting," the older man said. "Besides that, then, the crystal cave. Tell me about it."

"We woke up in some…" Sora thought for an appropriate word. "Crystal tubes of some kind. Nothing else was really interesting about it, besides the glowing walls."

Keon contemplated that. He took a piece of fruit, then leaned back in his chair. He gestured towards the food as he ate.

Sora politely took some and handed a bit to Riku. The three men quietly ate.

"I'm not going to say that you're lying," Keon stated after he finished. "Nor am I implying it. If you show me the cave, I'll believe you fully."

"Agreed," Riku said. "But Kairi knows how to get there better than us. She found it."

Iokina stuck her head in the room. "Lunch's ready, guys. We're eating outside. Can one of you grab the fruit?"

Sora complied and the three walked through the kitchen and out a back door onto a small porch. On the table sat a variety of well prepared food. Keon sat on one side, with his family on either side of him. Sora and Riku took the remaining seats, Sora to the left, Kairi and Riku to the right of Iokina.

The spread was several grille fish filets with several sides of fresh vegetables and fruit. Sora thoroughly admired the food.

"If you two are hungry," Iokina said. "Please just eat. There's plenty. We'll let you pass on manners this once."

Sora needed no prompting. He quickly dug into his meal. Riku was more subdued than Sora, but still ate at a fast pace.

"You're going to need a place to stay," Keon stated after several minutes. "I know several families that wouldn't mind giving out a room, provided you're willing to do some work."

Sora swallowed and nodded, then continued eating. Iokina looked up and studied them for a moment.

"You'll also need new clothes," she decided. "Kairi, after lunch take them to Sayaka's shop. I'll give you some funds for what the need."

"Who?" Sora asked through a mouthful of food.

"One of our neighbors," Iokina explained. "Her and her family's business is sewing. She should have some nicer clothes for you."

They finished their meal soon after that.

"I have other duties to attend to," Keon informed them. He said goodbye to his family then departed. Sora and Riku help Kairi clear the table.

"Thanks for the help," Iokina said. "But Kairi, boys, remember? You two need new clothes."

She handed Kairi some folded bills and practically threw them out of the house.

"Right," Kairi said, staring at the front door of her house. "Let's go. Follow me."

Kairi led them down the dirt road, past many houses and to a larger dirt path that headed west. The road left the area Kairi's house was and towards the town. The town appeared relatively small, even though it had several tall structures.

They walked along the road, passing several islanders traveling along the road. Quite a few recognized Kairi, as they waved and called in greeting. Almost all of them showed unhidden curiosity towards Sora and Riku, but few said anything besides a greeting or farewell to the two outsiders.

The dirt road eventually transformed into a cobble road, and they soon entered town. Most of the buildings were businesses, little shops that lined each side of the street. Vendors had booths set up on each corner.

Kairi led them to a store with an outside display and an open door. Inside was full of fabric creations. Premade clothes hung on racks and sat on shelves. What looked like several work stations dominated the store. A small counter sat off to the side. Kairi wrung a bell on the counter and in a few moments a black-haired elderly woman walked out of a doorway in the back wall.

"Welco- Oh!" said the lady. "Kairi!"

She walked over and hugged the girl. "It's so good to see you unharmed, dear," said the lady. "We feared the worst when the storm hit."

"Thank you, Sayaka," answered Kairi. "I'm here on business. My friends need some new clothes."

The woman finally noticed Sora and Riku. "Oh!"

Sora nervously waved in greeting.

"Well I didn't notice you two!" she said. "Hi! I'm Sayaka. You two are?"

"I'm Sora and this is my friend, Riku," he said. "We're from-"

She waved his comment off. "I'm sure it doesn't matter," she said. "So! You need new clothes you say?"

Kairi stepped forward. "Yes," she said and handed the money Iokina had given her to Sayaka. "With this."

Sayaka counted the money, and satisfied, led them into the back. She took several minutes to take measurements of the two, wrote some things down and looked over her inventory several times.

"Here you go boys," she said, handing them each a piece of paper. Sora looked his over. It was a list of several pieces of clothing.

"That's what you can take with you," Sayaka explained. "The sizes and the number of items you can pick out. Everything should be covered. Now, Riku,"she said. She directed him towards one section of the room. "Over here are the clothes in your sizes. Sora," she said turning to the younger boy. She pointed past him. "Yours are over there. When you're finished, get dressed in the changing room in the back!"

* * *

It only took Sora and Riku a few minutes to get everything they needed. It seemed that Iokina had given a hefty sum of money, as the two boys could get not only a set of clothes, but a few extras of some things, shoes, and some things like a coat or belt for each of them.

Sora had picked a simple pair of black shorts, a red t-shirt and a pair of black and yellow sneakers. The "coat" he picked out was really more for blocking rain and wind than keeping him warm, and it matched his pants. He also found a pair of fingerless gloves.

Riku had picked a black t-shirt, a pair of cargo pants, a khaki vest and a pair of gray sneakers.

Sayaka was amused. "Out of an entire store, you two picked out the most simplistic, least expensive clothing in the store."

She rang up the cost and handed Kairi the change. "Oh, one more thing," Sayaka said. "Can I have those?"

She was pointing at the simple white clothes Sora had on when he woke up in the cave. Sora shrugged and sat them on the counter. Riku did likewise.

"Okay, thank you Sayaka!" Kairi said brightly.

"Thank you!" the woman replied.

The trio left the store and headed down the street. As they walked towards Kairi's house, Riku spoke up.

"Kairi, I have a favor to ask."

The girl came to a halt and turned to him. "What is it?"

* * *

The request, strange enough, was a haircut. The boy's hair was as long, if not longer, than Kairi's hair, but looked far more unkempt. It hung to his shoulders in the back and the bangs hung down his face. It seems its length had come to annoy him and he wanted to get it out of the way.

Kairi had complied and led him to Iokina, who did the task.

After that, the rest of the day went by slowly for the three. Kairi showed Sora and Riku two different parts of the islands. She had introduced the two to several of her friends, shown them several areas of interest, such as the beach, and told them where to go if they needed certain things.

As the sun began to set, the three returned to Kairi's home. Keon had returned home and the two greeted the three and invited Sora and Riku for another meal. They ate outside again. Keon had started a fire in a pit out in the yard and Iokina used it to grill some freshly caught fish.

The meal was light, and some freshly cut melon was served as dessert. Keon had informed them over dinner that two of his friends had places the boys could stay at, but he invited them to stay at the house for the night.

After night had fallen, they sat around the small fire, enjoying its warmth and the clear, starry skies. Riku stood up from his chair. Sora glanced up at him. The older boy's face looked farm grimmer than it should have.

_I wonder what's been bugging him all day_, Sora wondered.

"I'm going for a walk," he said. Keon gave him a nod in acknowledgement. The boy walked towards a side gate in the fence and left the yard."

"So, are you enjoying our little island so far?" Iokina asked.

"Yeah, it's nice," he answered. She seemed satisfied with that. Keon turned towards her and said something quietly to her, and she responded. They started conversing quietly, but Sora could not hear what they said. He refocused his attention on the fire.

"So what are you going to down now?" Kairi asked quietly, startling him a bit. "Now that you're a bit settled in, and all."

"I'm not sure," Sora replied. "I still don't remember much."

"Just gonna take one day at a time?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded in answer.

"Well," she said. "If you need help, feel free to ask."

"Okay," Sora said, confused. "But why?"

"Well, we're friends, right?" she said. Sora scratched his head. Then he smiled.

"Right," he said, resolutely. She smiled back. It grew quiet again, and he focused on the fire again. After a while, he glanced around. Kairi looked tired, her eyelids dropping heavily. The fire had died a little, and Iokina had disappeared. Riku had not yet returned.

"I'm going to find Riku," Sora said. When nobody said anything, he got up and headed for where Riku had gone to.

He walked between Kairi's house and fence, out across the front yard and into the road. Although Sora could see the light of some fires other families had burning in the distance, the road was dark, lit only by dim moonlight. There was no sign of his friend.

Sora looked around before walking towards the beach. It seemed more likely to him that was where Riku had headed.

As he walked along the road, he glanced up at the sky and stopped. An uncountable number of stars filled the sky. He gazed up at them for several minutes, his task temporarily forgotten.

He startled himself, though, when he realized his right hand had curled into a fist. He glanced at his hand.

_It's so frustrating_, he thought. _I should be… _doing_ something. But what…?_

He gazed back up at the skies. They twinkled down at him.

"You have awoken, my master…" a voice said quietly. It sounded like it was in his ear and distantly behind him. He whirled around. There was no one there. He tightened his grip. In a flash of light, something heavy appeared in his hand.

He jerked back and gazed at what it was. He blinked in confusion. He held what appeared to be a large, silver key.

* * *

Fin

Pardon. Filler chapter.

All reviews appreciated.


	4. Chapter IV: Night of Fate

**Night of Fate**

The "key" in his hand was the size of a sword. The "blade" was silver and cylindrical. If it was a normal key, the loop functioned as a hand guard, and was gold and boxy, while the handle was black. The "teeth" of the key was shaped similar to that of a crown. A length of chain hung from the bottom of the handle, and at the end of it was a bangle, which was three circles connected together.

"This is…" Sora said, his voice barely a whisper. "My… keyblade…"

He gave it an experimental swing. The weapon was heavy, and he would need two hands to use it best. He heard footsteps and dropped his hand and let go of the weapon. It vanished.

A man stepped around the corner of a house, saw him and waved. Sora returned it nervously. The man walked across the street and disappeared around another corner.

After Sora was sure he was gone, he called the keyblade again. It reappeared in his hand.

"I remember…" he said softly, inspecting the weapon. "This is my keyblade, _Kingdom Key_. I used it to… to… what did I have it for?"

_I fought something, maybe_, Sora thought, dismissing the weapon. He walked on, deep in thought. _I've had it for a long time. Almost as long as I've known Riku. I use it to, to, fight. Protect. But why?_

The dirt road ended at the beach, but Sora, lost in thought, did not notice until he heard the ocean. The lights from the houses no longer reached the beach, so the only the moon and stars cast meager light upon him.

He was not near the docks where they landed earlier that day, but further along the beach. A small dock, probably for fishing, jutted out from the beach.

A figure stood at the end of the dock. Figuring it was his friend, Sora walked towards the dock. As he approached the dock, he could make out it was indeed his friend. The older boy stood at the end of the dock, facing the sea.

Sora walked down the beach and towards his friend. The water lapped against the dock as he slowly moved to the edge.

"Hey, Riku," Sora began as he reached his friend. He said nothing more as Riku turned towards him.

"Sora," he said, his voice ominous. "You discovered it, right?"

"Discovered…?" Sora said, glancing down in thought. "You mean…?"

His head shot up and he summoned _Kingdom Key_. "This, you mean?"

"Yes," Riku said, his eyes lighting up. An unreadable expression flashed across his face. Riku lifted his hand. In a flash of light, a keyblade appeared in his hands.

Unlike _Kingdom Key_, it only had a rudimentary appearance to a key. It was essentially composed of wings. The blade was a black and red demon wing, the teeth was a gray, feathery angel wing. A gray bat-like wing and a white angel wing formed the hand guard. The keychain was a simple chain with a black heart-shaped emblem with a red border.

"_Way to the Dawn_," Riku said, naming the key. He let his arm drop and turned back towards the sea.

"Riku," Sora finally said. "These are weapons. But, why do we have them?"

Riku did not immediately reply, instead turning around to face the ocean. Sora stepped beside him. The light of the moon and stars barely lit the ocean, only reflecting dimly off the water. The smaller islands and ocean were nothing but shadowy silhouettes.

Riku finally spoke: "I noticed… them, I guess… almost as soon as I stepped out of the cave earlier."

"Them?"

Riku shook his head. "I can't really explain. It's like… I smell something. Sense it. Like a shadow out of the corner of my eye."

"Shadows…" Sora said thoughtfully. "Like… living shadows, right?"

Riku nodded. "You remember too. I felt them more in the islands than here, but they're here, in this town. Everyone's in danger."

"Right," Sora agreed. "So what do we do about it? We're gonna help, right?"

"Yeah. But first we need-" before Riku could finish, the two heard a shifting sound from behind them. Sora and Riku spun around. Short, bug-like creatures with glowing yellow eyes crawled upon the dock.

Sora leapt to the right off the dock, _Kingdom Key_ appearing in his hand. Half the creatures leapt off after him. As he landed in knee-deep water, he spun around, spinning _Kingdom Key_ above his head. He struck the leaping shadow creatures, several bursting on contact. Many splashed into the water around him.

He batted a monster away and then dashed towards shore. As he hit the sand, several more of the creatures formed and attacked.

He shouted as they slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He felt sharp claws dig into him and he shouted. Gripping his keyblade, he forced himself to flip over, succeeding in flinging the monsters off. On his knees, he rolled to the side. Leaping to his feet, he spun his weapon and destroyed several more of his foes.

At a moment of peace, he glanced up. The creatures filled the beach. A flash of lightning and the subsequent thunder startled him. A storm had formed in the few moments of attack. He gripped _Kingdom Key_ with two hands and slashed forward, dashing through several his enemies. At the end of his dash, he spun his weapon around and destroyed more of the creatures. Only a few monsters remained, and he ran at them, swiftly striking each creature.

He scanned the beach, searching for enemies. Satisfied, he ran towards the dock.

"Riku!" he yelled. The older boy ran from the other side of the dock, shadowy monsters at his heels.

"Watch out, Riku!" Sora said as he hefted his weapon. "Strike raid!"

He flung _Kingdom Key_ and it flew end over end and struck the creatures, obliterating them. He quickly recalled _Kingdom Key_, the keyblade appearing instantly in his hand.

Sora skidded to a halt near the end of the dock. Riku joined him a second later. Sora could not see his features in the darkness. Lightning flashed and it thundered, and Sora felt the first few drops of rain.

"We gotta get back to the house!" He said. Riku nodded. Sora turned and dashed towards the road, Riku behind him. The rain quickly picked up strength, and it grew harder to see. Sora had to rely on the frequent lightning strikes to illuminate his path.

As they reached the road, the shadowy creatures skittered along its edge, yellow eyes staring in at them. The monsters moved around them, encircling the two, preparing for an attack.

Sora and Riku hefted their weapons, ready for battle. Before Sora could make a move, though, Riku stepped forward and gestured.

"Sora, you go on ahead. I'll handle this."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Nodding, Sora rushed forward. A few steps from the horde of monsters, he leapt, flipping over them. He swung Kingdom Key as he flew, striking a few monsters. Upon landing, he took off towards the house.

* * *

Kairi jerked awake. She sat in the chair by the fire. Her father was busy putting the fire out. She shook her head and rose from her chair. She glanced around. They were the only ones still in the yard.

"Your mother's inside," Keon said, answering her unasked question. "Sora and Rku haven't returned."

"Oh, okay," she said. It had become considerably darker, and she could no longer see the moon and stars. "A storm?" Her father grunted in affirmation.

She turned around and headed for the house. As she crossed the yard, however, a gust of cold wind hit her. She shivered and a cold, ominous feeling ran up her spine. A faint rustling sound reached her ears and she glanced around, then back to her father. The older man now stood straight up, scanning the yard.

"Um, dad?" She called out. The wind picked up again, and lightning flashed in the distance. Keon quickly moved in her direction.

"We should get in the house," he said. She nodded as he walked by, and moved to follow. Her father entered the house, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, an unnatural burst of air struck Kairi, flinging her back away from the house. As she landed roughly in the grass, the door to her house slammed shut, as if some strange force closed it.

She pulled herself up and dashed for the house. A few steps from the house, she slammed into an invisible barrier. It rippled and reflected like a mirror, then turned invisible again.

A sound from behind reached her ears, and she spun around. Shadowy monsters with bright yellow eyes crawled towards her. She cried out and stumbled back, hitting the force field. She glanced around her at the shadow creatures that slowly approached from all sides.

_No way out…_ she thought. _Maybe I can just go over?_

She pushed off from the barrier and leapt over her attackers. She ran to the other end of the yard. Another force field barred her escape.

She turned around and faced her attackers again. The way they moved reminded Kairi of insects, swarming towards a larger foe.

"Somebody help!" She yelled, doing the only thing she could think of.

In the most unexpected way, something reacted to her cry of help. The creatures parted, as if a great force shoved them out of the way. With the encompassing darkness of the storm clouds, the light of the stars and moon made it seem like daybreak.

"What…" Kairi mumbled. She stood frozen, staring up at the skies. Her attackers had also stopped moving, stopping their approach.

A bright, silvery light glowed, like a star. It shot out, spinning around and around, before rocketing down at Kairi.

Kairi threw her arms up and covered her face as the ball of light slammed into the barrier, shattering it like glass.

Kairi cautiously lowered her arms. The light had stopped at about eye level, a few feet away from where she stood. It lit up the whole yard, and the monsters scattered, hiding from its glow.

In a daze, she slowly reached for the strange light. As her hand entered into the light, she felt something at her fingertips. She gripped the object and the light reacted. It flashed out, washing over her. She clenched her eyes shut to avoid being blinded, but in a second the light faded.

The object in her hand became heavier. She opened her eyes. Her first instinct was to call the object a machete, but she dismissed that thought almost immediately. Although it weighed similar to the tool, it had no sharpened blade, not to mention its brightly colored and elaborate appearance.

She studied it thoroughly. A guard shaped like an upside down heart surrounded the black handle. It flared out at the top and inner bottom. The coloring of the guard invoked imagery of the beach, the sandy brown side transforming into the blue color of the sea on the other. The sandy side also extended and coiled around the blade-like shaft, which was colored orange and deep red, reminding Kairi of the sunset. At the very end of the shaft, the sandy colored coil became sandy colored leaves and vines, with different colored flowers adorning it. At the base of the blade and hilt, was a gold cap. A bangle, shaped like a paopu fruit, was attached to the base by a braided red and orange cord.

A shuffling noise snapped her out of her daze. The shadow monsters had returned their attention to her and had started approaching again.

_Here goes nothing…_

* * *

Sora swung _Kingdom Key_, destroying several monsters in one strike.

"This is brutal," he said, pausing. Despite Riku holding the monster horde from earlier off, they still filled the path to Kairi's house, delaying him.

The lull in the fight came to an end, and the monsters struck. He struck the first from the air, and then leapt forward, spinning his keyblade. He struck several of them as he landed, then sprinted past, dodging several leaping monsters.

The monsters were not very sturdy and died in one strong blow, but their numbers would overwhelm him if he stopped to fight them all. He focused on fleeing and fighting only the ones he could not escape.

_I've gotta get to Kairi anyway_, Sora thought as he ran. A light suddenly glared in his eyes. He skidded to a stop.

The clouds had parted and a silvery light shot down. It flew towards where Kairi's house was, roughly. Sora had to look away as it flashed brilliantly.

The monsters where all stunned by the phenomenon. Taking advantage of the distraction, he ran directly for the house. He was a few houses away when the monsters finally started moving.

"You guys are really getting annoying!" Sora said as the monsters attacked again. He batted away three that lunged at him, and then leapt forward, bringing his weapon down on another.

Grinding his heel in the dirt, he spun around, slashing all the monsters around him in a circle. Seeing that they were destroyed or knocked away and that none were nearby, he ran for Kairi's house again. Several monsters formed ahead, but he dashed or leapt over them.

A short moment later, he was in front of the house. Sprinting across the front yard and along the side yard and into the back yard.

There stood Kairi, surrounded by the creatures. Well, 'stood' was misleading. It seemed as if she was trying to fight off the monsters with some object, most likely something she found, but Sora could not tell for sure through the darkness. However, there was no sign of the silver light at all.

In a few steps and a leap, he brought his blade down on one of the dark creatures. In a few moments, he had made short work of the monsters attacking Kairi. After he had disposed of the things, he straightened up and turned to Kairi.

"Kairi, you shou-" he started, but froze, seeing the object in the girl's hand. "Is that a… keyblade?"

"A what?"

Before he could clarify, a loud sound thundered. Glancing in the direction it came from, he saw a pillar of dark energy blasting into the sky.

"That's where Riku is!" Sora shouted. "Kairi! Get inside! I'll be back later to help!"

"W-wait! Sora!" Kairi called out, but he was already on the move.

* * *

Kairi deliberated for a moment. She wanted to follow Sora, but he told her to remain there, and it seemed he knew what was going on.

_I might get in his way_, she thought. She glanced down, at the object in her hand. _What did he call this again…?_

The loud noise from earlier sounded, even louder this time. The ground shook with it. She looked up and saw the dark pillar erupt again.

Almost without thinking, she dashed towards where Sora ran off to. Out on the road, she saw the pillar shooting up like a fire.

She shivered as an unnaturally cold feeling washed over her. Then her weapon rattled in her hands, as if trying to catch her attention.

_Fear nothing._

Kairi jumped. She held up the weapon. "Did, did you just _speak_ to me?"

_Fear nothing. I will assist you._

Kairi stared at it for a moment. _It just spoke to me_.

She glanced back down the road. The cold feeling had vanished, and now all she wanted was to help Sora and find out what was going on.

Sucking in a breath, she ran towards the black pillar.

* * *

It took her a few minutes to get to the beach. The first thing she saw, though, was Sora slam into the dirt road, as if he was thrown with great force. Riku landed in much the same way a second later.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked. They had already started getting to their knees as she rushed to their side. Then she saw what had tossed the two boys.

A giant black shape rose up. Like a bigger version of the monsters from earlier, it was more human-shaped than them. Its head was wrapped in black tendrils and it had a large, heart-shaped hole in its stomach. Its arms were muscular and disproportionately long. Its legs were also disproportionate, being too short, so it leaned forward and rested on its knuckles, like an ape.

Riku pulled himself up and launched himself at the creature, slashing at its head. It struck out, faster than Riku expected, and slapped him to the earth. The monster reared and brought its arms up, preparing to smash him.

"Strike Raid!" Sora yelled, hurling his weapon at the monsters face. It staggered and fell back.

Sora ran forward and to Riku's side. Riku recovered and the two boys leapt forward, striking at the creature. It proved futile, though. The monster batted Sora and Riku out of the air in quick succession, knocking them into the dirt.

As they got up again and prepared another attack, the weapon in Kairi's hand rattled again. She gripped it with both hands and lifted it.

_You must act._

She released a frustrated breath. "How am I supposed to fight that thing?"

_You must fight. I shall show you. Point me at the heartless._

Confused but without alternative options, she did so. The shaft of the weapon glowed bright gold. The monster, about to strike at Sora, focused its glowing yellow eyes on Kairi. Directing the tip the weapon at its head, her weapon fired, the glow turning from light to bright flames.

The fireball lanced forward and struck the monsters face. It reared back again and howled, its voice sounding like an amalgam of cries from many different animals.

Sora struck at it again, but the creature had just enough strength to smack him away. It turned around, towards the water, and crouched low, like a predator cat, and leapt. It flew high through the sky, halfway across the water and the play island, and then slammed into the sea, causing a huge splash. A few seconds later, it rocketed out of the water, flying towards the play island.

"Sora, get Kairi!" Riku ordered. Much to Kairi's amazement, he ran forward, kicked off a palm tree and _flew_ off of it in pursuit of the monster. Kairi heard Sora make a sound like he wanted to argue, but the other boy was gone.

Before Kairi could do anything, Sora had ran over, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her to the same tree Riku kicked off of. He picked her up, leapt at the tree and launched off. Kairi screamed as she felt herself tumble through the air.

* * *

Sora felt the wind in his hair as he flew through the air. He would have, figuratively, paused to enjoy it if he did not have to fight a giant monster in the dead of night and needlessly put his new friend in danger.

She had stopped screaming, thankfully, but he did not blame her. Kairi had her eyes tightly closed.

He felt his momentum drop, so he angled his body downward. Riku had apparently frozen a chunk of seawater to bounce off of, so Sora aimed for that. He twisted in midair, striking feet first. Sora channeled the magic energy that let him leap like he did into his legs, and then took off again.

A few seconds later, he landed on the soft sands of the play island. He sat a shaky Kairi down then scanned the beach for Riku.

"Don't get comfy, Sora," Riku called. He pointed across the water. "That thing jumped over to that island."

"Okay," Sora replied. He glanced towards where Riku directed, and readied himself for another jump, but Kairi spoke up, stopping him.

"W-wait up," she said. "Take me with you guys."

"No way!" Sora replied immediately.

"Hold it, Sora," Riku spoke up. "She's got a Keyblade."

"Eh?" Sora said. He glanced over at Kairi. "Oh. Right, forgot about that."

Kairi held the said object up and studied it. "That's what this is called?"

The monster howled and the unnatural thunder sounded again.

"Forget it," decided Riku. "If she wants to go, let her. C'mon."

The silver-haired boy sprinted at a tree and leapt again. Sora grabbed Kairi and leapt after his friend.

"I don't know how you do this, but either I learn or I stay out of it!" Kairi cried as Sora flew through the air.

The island was significantly closer to the play island than the play island was to the main island, so the trip was a lot quicker.

Riku landed a few seconds before Sora and Kairi, and the monster barreled out of the trees at the older boy.

As he leapt up to intercept the attack, he called out: "Sora, give Kairi some pointers!"

Sora nodded and set Kairi on her feet.

"Kairi, you think you can do what you did earlier?" He asked her. She glanced thoughtfully at her keyblade for a second, and then replied.

"Yeah, probably."

"Good. Stay back and cast it when you think you can get a shot in. Also," he said. "Don't worry too much about hitting us."

After she nodded, he spun around and took off after the monster, _Kingdom Key_ appearing in his hands.

* * *

Riku was doing considerably better than before, but it seemed he was more focused on dodging attacks than attacking.

Sora made eye contact with him, and Riku nodded before launching an attack. He feinted, rolled under the monsters arm and stuck at its head, before kicking backwards and out of its reach. Sora leapt and landed on its arm, then sprang off, bashing its head with his blade. The attacks were minor, but provided the two with enough space to regroup.

"Well, you didn't get smacked around like a rag doll," Riku commented. "You must be doing something right."

"Cut it out, Riku," Sora replied. The monster turned to face them, but a fireball struck its head and staggered it.

"Its head is its weak point," Riku observed. "We should focus on that."

"But its arms will get in the way," Sora said. "We should at least disable one of 'em."

"No time just act!" Riku said as the monster recovered and charged them.

Sora slid to the right, striking the oncoming monsters arm. His attack knocked the monsters arm out from under it.

It crashed into the sand and Riku took advantage of this and struck, sliding in and striking the thing in the face. He struck it several more times, but one of the arms moved to slam in on him. Sora jumped in and struck the arm, holding it at bay.

Riku forsook his advantage and flipped away. Mid leap he struck the arm away and Sora slipped away. The monster climbed up again. Instead of rushing, it moved back.

"Okay, this is more difficult than we thought," Sora stated. Three fireballs shot overhead and slammed into the monster. One struck its chest, the second its shoulder and the last grazed the side of its head.

It did not react as it had when Kairi struck it earlier, but it still reacted.

"I think I get it," stated Riku. "Magic hurts it more than what we do."

"Maybe we can one-shot it with a magic attack," Sora offered. The monster moved and the duo reacted.

It charged and slammed its arms down, kicking up sand. It rose up and slung its arms around, striking out. Sora and Riku leapt out of the way just in time as a spell from Kairi shot over the two and landed at the monsters feet. A fireball struck it in the head a second later, and the monster fell back.

"Riku!"

"On it!"

Sora jumped for the fallen monster, _Kingdom Key_ gripped in both hands, glowing gold. Riku was a step behind him, _Way to the Dawn_ glowing silver. They swung their keyblades down at their foe, blades of light extending out.

"Master Hearts!" They yelled, cutting it across the chest, halfway severing it and its left arm. A second slash removed its legs and right hand.

They landed at its feet. Sora dismissed _Kingdom Key_ and grinned at his friend and Riku smugly grinned.

"Sora, Riku!" Kairi called. They turned and saw her running towards, waving. They turned and returned her wave. Sora took a step towards her when the monster shifted behind them.

Sora and Riku spun around and Kairi froze in her tracks as the body of the monster jerked up. It fell forward imply and swung its remaining arm down at the boys. It missed, striking at their feet, but as soon as it touched the ground, its arm melted into a black pool. The torso and other body parts did likewise, disappearing into the expanding black. It swallowed Sora and Riku's feet, trapping them as if it was tar. The started sinking rapidly and Kairi dashed forward, grabbing onto Sora as he sunk. His descent caused her to stumble, falling forward into the pool.

Unable to free themselves, the three vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Fin

**Author's Notes:** In case anyone isn't sure, the monsters are Heartless, specifically Shadows and a Darkside. I know I described its (read: the Darkside) movements as more gorilla-like than in the games, but the lethargy of the Game!Darkside would make this fight scene more awful and boring than it already is. 'Sides, considering the short legs and long arms of the thing, it makes sense for its locomotion to be gorilla-like.

Also, here's to hoping I get better at the fight scenes.

All feedback (good, bad, pointless, rambling, constructive, critical, fiery, etc.) welcomed.


	5. Chapter V: The Sea and the Rhythm

**The Sea and the Rhythm**

Kairi groggily opened her eyes. She was lying in front of a stone wall. She stiffly pushed herself up and climbed to her feet and leaned against a nearby wall, taking stock of her surroundings.

She was in a narrow, sett alley. Tall, gray brick buildings lined either side of the alley. An ornate rod iron gate sealed off the alley in front of her. Glancing behind her, it continued unblocked out into the street. A light shined from the main street a little into the alley, casting odd shadows. It was nighttime and the moon, a yellow crescent, shined down.

Stiff from lying on the pavement, she staggered out of the alley towards the lights. Stepping into the road, she staggered, the bright lights dizzying her. After her eyes adjusted, she examined her new surroundings.

The street was wider than the alley, but compared to the dirt roads that crisscrossed her island home, they were narrow. What looked like shops lined either side of the street, all with brightly colored displays and awnings. Many had lights and paper lanterns hanging out, making it seem like daytime. Tall street lamps lined the center of the street periodically, contributing to the brightness. The street stretched to Kairi's left and right. Off to the left the street led to an intersection, while the right continued for quite a ways, gradually curving away.

_A market?_ Kairi thought. But despite the lights, the streets were empty and quiet. Kairi approached a nearby shop and curiously inspected it. It seemed like a trinket shop and all the lights were on, but it was empty and the door was locked.

"Strange…" Kairi said. "Why is a place like this so… empty?"

She walked down towards the intersection, inspecting the other shops along the way. They were all like the first, devoid of anyone.

As she reached the intersection, she noticed that a larger lamppost sat in its center. A few metal signs hung from it. Two of them, street signs, read:

"Dogū Street"

"Bizen Street"

She glanced around. She stood on Dogū Street. Glancing down it, she saw much of the same.

Looking back at the signs, she inspected the largest. It read:

"**Traverse Town"**

"South Market District"

"Head north for Market Center"

"Head east for the waterway and the 6th Residential District"

"Head west for Restaurant Street"

"Head south for Theater Row"

A small diagram of the streets was engraved in the bottom, but it was too small to adequately guide her. She slowly scanned the area, unsure of which direction she wanted to go. She leaned against the lamp and slid to the ground.

_Where am I…?_ Kairi thought, resting her forehead on her palms. Wait a second…

She sat up and looked down at her hands. "Where'd my… my… keyblade? Where did my keyblade go?"

She held her hand out, palm up. A tingling sensation ran down her hand and, in a flash of light, the keyblade appeared. She slowly swung it around, staring at it.

"I wonder… are you going to talk to me again?" She said. No voice echoed in her head. She lazily swung it through the air.

"You spoke to me, so I wonder if you have a name. What should I call you?" She said. A faint humming reached her ears and a nostalgic feeling washed over her, and her world grew hazy.

Images and memories and sounds flashed through her mind, of the sea, the beach, of the saltwater and sand, of seashells, of fish in the ocean and birds in the sky, of the warm sunlight on her skin and the white clouds in the blue sky, of the smell of a storm, the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning, the feeling of wind in her face as she sailed with her family, the smell of salt at the marina and the sight of white sails on the horizon, of swimming in a secluded lagoon, of the succulent fruit that grew on the islands, of the wild animals that roamed them, of spending time with her friends, of her parents as they raised her, of fishing with her father and making dinner with her mother, of holding them when she got scared as a child, of her entire life on Destiny Islands. She could vividly imagine the call of her parents, looking for her now that she had disappeared, worried for her safety. She felt tears running down her face, all that had happened recently crashing down on her.

_Destiny's Embrace…_

The echoed voice of the keyblade sounded in her mind, startling her. She lifted it up to gaze at it again.

"What did you say?" She asked, her voice shaky.

_Destiny's Embrace._

"Is… is that your name?"

_It is. I am what your heart calls me._

"My… heart?" But the keyblade, _Destiny's Embrace_, did not speak again. Resigned to the fact that it said nothing more, she pushed herself up. She let her grip on the weapon slack and it vanished. Startled, she tried to resummon it, and it responded, appearing in her hand. She dispelled it once more.

Satisfied that it had not disappeared for good, she looked back to the map, she considered her options. She ruled the Market Center to the north out, considering that if it was empty here, it would be empty as well. She likewise ruled out heading south. That left her two options: west for the Restaurant District or east for the Residential District. She finally decided on west, mostly because it gave her a chance to explore her immediate area more and she had no idea how far the Residential District was from her position.

The road she walked continued much the same, shops (all mysteriously empty but lit up) lined either side of the street. The road itself doubled in width in some areas. She passed several more junctions, each one different, and she took the time to inspect them. Some intersecting roads were elevated, with stone stairways. Once, the road split, the center part descending and the sides rising up, making two stories of shops for about a block.

Eventually, the road widened considerably and let out into a large oval-shaped area. Stepping into the heart of it, she gazed around. The whole area had four tiers, including where she stood, each tier containing what seemed to be shops. The lowest tiers had mostly booths and stands with a few areas for tables. The upper tiers had fixed buildings, the lower being open air bars and restaurants, while the highest level had large restaurants. Several other streets entered into the court, on different levels.

Many of the buildings had banners and signs, but quite a few were written in languages she had never seen. Many more had words and characters she recognized and could read quiet well, but she did not recognize some of the words.

She frowned in disappointment, however, when she realized the area was just as empty as the streets. She wandered over to a nearby food stand, one with several stools, and sat down, leaning against the countertop.

It was one of the ones she could not read, and she quickly examined the stand. Unlike the shops, this one was closed up tightly, no doubt to protect the cooking equipment, but the lights were all on.

"Wonder where I am…" Kairi wondered. "And where did Sora and Riku disappear to?"

She remembered the sign earlier had "Traverse Town" engraved at the top. That did not quite answer where she was. She had never _heard_ of Traverse Town before. Was it on some distant island, perhaps? She remembered when that huge monster created that dark pool that sucked Sora, Riku and herself… here, she guessed.

A sudden sound jolted her out of her thoughts. Glancing up, she scanned the court for its source. It rang out again, and Kairi determined just where it was: up the stairs at the north end of the area.

She paused a moment, then called _Destiny's Embrace_.It appeared in her hands. She took off towards the stairs. The noises had started up again, growing louder and more frequent.

She rushed up the stairs. The sight that greeted her once she reached the top was a frantic one. Several of the little black monsters that attacked Destiny Islands swarmed about the area. She could see them more clearly than the night before. While they moved like insects, they appeared more like a combination between a rat and the silhouette of a human. They crawled around on four limbs, their forelimbs ending in three clawed digits. Their heads were large and round, with twin antennae and two glowing, yellow eyes.

Another type of monster fought beside them. These stood upright and were about the height of a child, but they twitched erratically. They came in two colors. The bodies of one kind were mostly dark blue, save for their black, pointy feet. Their hands were disproportionately large, with four digits, each ending in a wicked red claw. Their heads were encased in a strange silver helmet, looking a bit like a clam. Two bright yellow eyes glowed from within the helmet. There was still another kind, which looked identical to the upright monsters, except the colors were more brown and bronze than blue and black. On the chest of both was a black and red heart-shaped insignia.

_These are the Heartless. They are denizens of the dark realm, darkness given shape and form._

The individual they were fighting was a woman, easily older than Kairi. Kairi guessed she was in her twenties. She had pale pink hair and wore a white vest-like jacket with a red cape, but, as she was moving around quite a bit, Kairi could not really tell much else. The woman wielded a single-edged blade and was deftly fighting the Heartless.

Most the Heartless circled the woman, and there were quite a few. Several of them noticed Kairi and turned to face her. Three of the larger monsters advanced with claws raised, while about five or six of the smaller ones skittered about, some sinking into the ground, becoming black, inky puddles.

Gripping _Destiny's Embrace_ with both hands and holding it in front of her, she swung at the nearest monster, one of the smaller ones.

The tip of the keyblade struck its head and smashed it to the pavement. It burst into wisps of darkness, a glowing orb drifting away from where it was.

Bringing her weapon up, she smacked one that leapt at her out of the air. She next aimed her strike at one of the larger creatures, smashing it upside the head. It staggered but did not disperse, so she struck it again. The blow knocked it over and a third strike caused it to disperse.

One of the smaller monsters tackled her from behind and she stumbled forward but caught herself and struck the offender, sending it tumbling along the ground.

Another of the larger rushed her, swiping its claws at her. She caught the attack with Destiny's Embrace and shoved the arm into the ground, before retaliating with an upward slash, striking it in the head. The attack cut clean through and the monster vanished.

As soon as she recovered from her attack, she shot her weapon out, stabbing one of the smaller creatures and destroying it.

The sound of crackling electricity caught her ears, and she glanced up, noticing that the pink-haired woman summon a flurry of lightning bolts on her foes.

_Oh, right!_ She thought, recalling the fire and ice attacks she had used the day before. _How do I do that again…?_

She struck at one of the small monsters, knocking it away. _What did I do? Gotta remember..._

She felt a tingling sensation in her arm and _Destiny's Embrace_ vibrated in her hands. Pointing it at the last large monster, it briefly glowed a bright blue and a blast of water shot from the tip. It struck the monster and instantly destroyed it.

A whooshing sound and the movement of air above her head caused Kairi to glance up. The woman had leapt over her head. Now wielding a firearm of some kind, she blasted the Heartless that surrounded Kairi with a few loud shots from her weapon. By the time the woman landed and Kairi glanced around the area, all the Heartless had been disposed of. With an elaborate twirling motion, the woman placed her weapon in a sheath hanging at her waist and turned to Kairi.

"I'm glad I found you before the Heartless did," she stated. "I'm Lightning. What's your name?"

Kairi blinked. "Oh, Kairi. My name's Kairi."

Lightning nodded curtly and started walking past her. "Come on. We should get out of here before more of those things show up."

Startled by the woman's abruptness, Kairi quietly complied and followed. After turning down another narrow street, Kairi finally built up the courage to speak.

"Umm, Lightning? Where am I?"

"Traverse Town," Lightning said.

"Oh," Kairi said. "I mean, last I remember, I was on my home islands, Destiny Islands, before I was attacked by those things. Then me and my friends fought off a big one and then I woke up here. Also! My friends, have you seen my friends?"

Lighting stopped in her tracks. "Okay, slow down. First, you're here in Traverse Town, likely because your world was swallowed by the darkness. You did say you were attacked by the Heartless there, right?"

Kairi nodded.

"Second, I came to find you because we spotted you entering town. How many friends did you say you were looking for?"

"Just two. Sora and Riku. Two boys."

"Good. We saw two other people enter with you, and some of my friends went looking for them."

"Entering the town how?" Kairi asked. "I woke up in an alley."

"In a big streak of light," Lightning answered. "Like a shooting star."

Kairi was inclined to think she was joking, but considering all the things that had happened, she would not be surprised if that _was_ what had happened.

"When you said my world got 'swallowed by the darkness'," Kairi began. "What do you mean?"

"Somebody opened a door to darkness. That's how the Heartless got on your world."

Kairi mulled this over, but found the explanation confusing. "I don't think I understand."

The woman sighed. "Okay, listen. It's all a bit much to take in right now, but I'm sure you'll understand. Let's just get someplace safe, okay?" Lightning started to turn and continue walking, but she stopped.

"You're weapon," she said. "Let me see it."

Kairi, puzzled, held up _Destiny's Embrace_. The woman inspected it thoroughly. She nodded, more to herself than to Kairi, and then turned and continued walking.

"So it is a keyblade…" Kairi heard Lightning whisper to herself as she turned.

"Umm, what exactly _is_ a keyblade?"

Lightning glanced at her sidelong. "Honestly, I can't really say. I'm no expert on the things, but they're the most reliable counter to the Heartless."

Kairi decided she would save her questions for later. Lightning appeared annoyed, as far as Kairi could tell.

The two walked down the empty streets, Lightning leading them through the winding streets. The streets remained as empty as they did when she arrived, not one person besides the two of them.

Eventually, they reached a broad waterway, crossed by numerous bridges. Lightning turned and led them along the roadway that ran parallel to the waterway, heading in northward direction.

The trip from that point was uneventful. No Heartless attacked them. Eventually, Lightning led Kairi across a bridge and they moved down a large street. This one was twice as wide as even the broadest street Kairi had been on earlier, and the buildings appeared less cramped.

"This is a main thoroughfare," Lightning stated. "It cuts through most of town. We're heading for Central District. Your friends should be there."

"Okay," Kairi said. Noticing all the brightly lit but empty buildings along the road, she opened her mouth to ask a question: "Why are all these buildings empty?"

"This town is where those who have lost their home show up. Nobody I've met here is actually a native to this town."

"So, all the buildings are just… like that?"

Lightning shrugged and they continued on. Eventually the buildings started getting fancier, more elaborate. They reminded Kairi a bit of the mayor's office back on the islands. They arrived at their destination not long after. Lightning headed for an elaborate, multi-story building. It looked like a mansion. It had a tall iron and brick fence surrounding it, with two large gates. A courtyard filled with fountains and statues sat before the ornate entrance. Kairi and Lightning passed through the front gates, which had been left open and headed for the entrance.

"Mayor's office…?" Kairi guessed quietly.

"Something like that," Lightning said, apparently hearing Kairi's quiet statement. "Nobody actually uses it, so we just… borrowed it."

They entered without fanfare, and Kairi was lead to a room that might have been a dining room, but was converted into some sort of conference room. A large, round table sat in the center, stacks of paper and maps scattered across it. The floors were marble, but beautiful carpets had been set down. Off to the side somebody had sat some couches and a coffee table.

A woman with braided brown hair in a pink dress reclined on one of the couches, but besides her, nobody else was there to greet them. Noticing them, she stood up and approached.

"Hey Light," she said, her voice kind. "Find somebody?"

Lightning grunted in affirmation and moved to sit down. The woman turned to Kairi.

"Hi! My name is Aerith," the woman said. "What's your name?"

"I'm Kairi," she responded, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Aerith."

Aerith returned her smile and gestured for her to sit down. Kairi did so, taking a seat across from Lightning. Aerith sat next to the older woman.

"Where's everybody else, Aerith?" Lightning asked.

"Still out," she said simply.

"All of them? What happened?"

"Tifa had some errands to run. She recruited the others to help."

Kairi sat there very awkwardly, hands in her lap. She had no idea what was going on or who these people were, so she was quite a bit confused.

"So where do you come from?" Aerith said. Kairi blinked.

"Oh!" She said, realizing that the woman was addressing her. "I come from a place called Destiny Islands. Some of my friends and me were attacked by those Heartless."

Aerith nodded, a sympathetic look on her face. "Losing a world to the Heartless is a terrible thing. I've seen what they can do."

Kairi nodded. She slipped the sandals she was wearing off and curled up on the couch, suddenly very cold. She suddenly realized she was still wearing the swimsuit from the day before.

"Listen," Aerith said, hesitantly. "If you have anything to say, please don't be afraid to, okay? We'll listen."

Kairi looked at the two. Aerith seemed sincere and Lightning looked slightly uncomfortable, but nodded anyway.

"Thanks," Kairi mumbled. After a minute of silence, she spoke up. "I'm just… a little confused. I just took a day off to explore the islands when… all this stuff started."

"The Heartless attacking?" Lightning asked. Kairi started to shake her head, but stopped.

"I don't know. Maybe?" She replied. "I just found two boys sleeping in some secret cave. It was weird... _is_ weird. But everything was going normally, until those Heartless attacked. Then I got this keyblade," she summoned _Destiny's Embrace_. "And those boys had keyblades, and we fought this giant Heartless and got swallowed into a pool of darkness and I woke up here. And then I hear my world is probably destroyed, so I have no idea what to do. Some answers would be nice, at least."

Aerith stood up and laid a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be explained soon," the woman said. "Come on Kairi. Let's get you some new clothes."

"Okay."

Kairi rose from the couch and Aerith led her towards a side door.

* * *

Kairi sat on a bed while Aerith dug through a closet, looking for some clothes she could wear. Kairi currently wore a bathrobe, for warmth.

"Aha!" Aerith cried. She exited the closet and laid something next to Kairi on the bed, then returned to the closet to grab something else.

Kairi inspected the offered clothing. It immediately reminded her of a dress she owned that she often wore with friends and one of her mother's kimonos that she wore during formal occasions. It looked fancy, in Kairi's opinion.

"Umm, is it really okay that I wear this?" She asked Aerith, who was now digging through a dresser.

"Yeah, it's no problem. Serah won't mind lending it too you. Besides," she said. "Considering you have that weapon, I thought you might need something more suitable for fighting."

"Really? This looks like something somebody would wear on a date," Kairi said, holding the garments up.

"Well, it's stylish _and_ practical, then," Aerith said. "But really, the makers of that just have a flair for the fancy. It's made of the strongest materials you can get."

"Well, okay then," Kairi said skeptically.

"Here," Aerith said, handing the younger girl a bundle of _other_ clothing. "Go ahead and try it on. We have to make sure they even _fit_."

Kairi shrugged and the narration will now jump immediately into the next scene.

"Looks great!" Aerith said, far more excited over it than Kairi was.

Kairi was surprised at how well she moved in the outfit, as she had expected it to be constricting. It was mainly made up of a short, purple and pink kimono that went down to her upper thigh. It also included a pair of matching, knee-length leggings, simple brown leather boots, and a pair of mismatched, fingerless gloves: one gold, going just past her wrist; the other pink and going well past her elbow.

"Come on; let's see if your friends have arrived yet."

"Right."

They exited the room and were startled by Lightning skidding to a stop before the door, weapon drawn.

"Aerith, Kairi, we have a problem," she declared.

"What is it," Aerith asked.

"Heartless have popped up all over Central," Lightning explained. "We need to get rid of them now!"

Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace in a flash. "I'll help!"

"Great. Follow me," Lightning said, moving down the hall. Kairi glanced at Aerith. The woman smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," she said.

"You're not coming?"

"No," Aerith answered quickly. Kairi was a bit startled at the short answer, but nodded anyway and turned, following the pink-haired woman down the hall and into battle.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Next chapter will document Sora's awakening in Traverse Town.

All reviews are appreciated.

Also a shout out to my friend, Wings And a Halo, who helped me edit this monstrosity. He doesn't have any stories, but he made an account because.

Just because. I guess.

**Author's Note Revision 11/9/2012**: Just a few things I meant to note when I first posted this. Where Kairi woke up, I had a Chinatown-like look going through my head. I'm love detailed world building, so I tried my hardest to convey this without using the world "Asian", considering, y'know, Kingdom Hearts universe =/= Earth. Also, Kairi's outfit is taken from one of Serah's alt costumes from Final Fantasy XIII-2, called Summoner's Garb. The Final Fantasy Wiki has pictures of it, so look it up.

I picked it because it sorta looks like Kairi's KHII dress but more fit for combat (no, not really, but we'll say it is).


	6. Chapter VI: Distant Skies

**Distant Skies**

Sora pushed himself up and shook his head, resting a hand against a nearby wall.

"Where am I?" he asked, rubbing his head. After shaking awake, he realized he was in an alleyway. It was small, wedged between two brick buildings and plain wooden crates where stacked up at the end. A crude wooden wall blocked one end off, but the other spilled into an open area.

"Nighttime?" He said, noticing the starry sky. "How'd I get here?"

_Oh yeah_, he thought. _We fought that dark monster… a Heartless, I think? (How do I remember that?) We fought it and then sunk into that pool of darkness it made…_

Realizing he did not see either of his companions, he exited the alley.

"Riku! Kairi! Where are you guys?" he called. He scanned his surroundings as he stepped out of the alley. A broad stone stairway descended into a town square of sorts, with streetlights casting a warm, golden light over the area. The buildings surrounding the area cast more warm light. He saw nobody walking the streets.

"Strange…" he said. A building with neon signs that read "jewelry" and "accessories" stood to his left, facing the stairway. Across the walkway a streetlight with two directional signs hanging from it stood at the corner of the stairs and a brick wall. The sign that pointed off to the right, over the square, read "south".

He stepped over to the top of the stairs and looked around some more. A pair of large doors sat to the south, and another pair rested towards the east. An outdoor shop that looked like a café was at his left, at the base of the stairway. A street next to the cafe extended west. The walkway at the top of the stairs wrapped around the jewelry shop and continued north.

Deciding that was the best way to go, he walked around the shop. As soon as he rounded the corner, a sight froze him mid-step. A figure in a long, hooded coat stood with their back to him, under a streetlamp.

"Hey, can you tell me where I am?" Sora asked the figure. The person jumped and spun around to gaze at him. Sora could not make out their face, but before he could say anything, the person spun around and ran off, disappearing behind the shop.

"H-hey! Wait!" Sora called, instinctively giving chase. As soon as he rounded the corner, the figure round a right, disappearing again. A creaking noise reached his ears, and he vaulted up the inclining walkway after the person.

He reached the top and turned, noticing another pair of large, wooden doors. One of these doors was slightly ajar, and he moved forward and pushed it open, the door creaking again.

He stepped through the gateway and took stock of his surroundings. The walkway extended forward, and then split in two directions, creating a U-shaped walkway, with shops lining one side and a hotel lining the other. The paths descended again, with a large square dominating the center of the area. The figure ran down the right-hand path. When they reached the end, they vaulted over the edge of the walkway.

He gave chase, but the sound of those monsters (_Heartless?_ _Good enough, _he decided) stopped him in his tracks. He spun around as _Kingdom Key_ flashed in his hand. The shadowy creatures from the islands skittered across the walkway, joined by a few taller, more-humanoid monsters with large claws.

Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward, spinning his keyblade downward and struck the nearest Heartless, instantly destroying it.

Landing on his feet, he swung _Kingdom Key_ twice, left and right, striking two of the smaller Heartless (_These guys need a name_, he thought to himself).

He struck at another small one, but it slipped into a pool of darkness and slid away from his attack, _Kingdom Key_ striking the brick pavement.

"I got it!" he exclaimed. "I'll call you guys Shadows!"

The Shadows did not react to their new name. With barely a thought, Sora gripped his keyblade with his other hand and swung it up, catching the claws of a lunging, larger Heartless. Knocking its hand away, he swung his keyblade in the opposite direction, snagging his enemy with the teeth of _Kingdom Key_ and throwing it off the edge of the walkway.

He paused briefly, observing the other Heartless. The larger ones moved constantly, jerking and hopping from one foot to the other.

_Soldiers, I think_, he said, picking a name for them. _What with the armor and all._

Two moved suddenly, rushing him with claws extended. He struck first, smashing it on the head and pinning it to the ground.

As it died in a puff of darkness, he swung his blade up, catching both arms of the second and knocking it backwards. He followed up with a second slash, bisecting it.

Noting movement in his peripheral vision, he rolled forward, dodging a leaping attack from a Shadow.

"Strike Raid!" He called, throwing Kingdom Key as soon as he recovered from his dodge. The weapon flew horizontally, end over end, destroying several Shadows upon impact. When it flew to the end of the walkway, he called it back to him and it appeared in his hand instantly.

Noticing the advancing forms of several Shadows surrounding him, he extended Kingdom Key and channeled the same energy he did for his earlier Strike Raid.

"Round Blitz!" He said, spinning on his heels. The monsters around him succumbed to the powered up spin attack.

Before he could relax, he heard the sound of air displacing as several Heartless appeared around him. More of the Soldier types appeared, this time flanked by another type of Heartless. This kind of Heartless looked similar to the Soldiers in height and shape, but a pair of wings and a different helmet differentiated them. They hovered above their brethren.

Sora twisted out of the way of an immediate attack, dodging the claws of several and batting away the attacks of others. One of the flying Heartless (_Air Soldiers_, he labeled them) dove at his head, and he barely turned out of the way. He felt the sting as it barely nicked his cheek, leaving a shallow cut on it.

Switching to the offensive, he vaulted over one line of his foes, beheading a Soldier as he landed. Another Air Soldier rushed him, but he caught it by the head with his keyblade, and, using its own speed and momentum, spun it and himself around, slamming the Heartless into a Soldier and killing both.

He followed the attack with a lunging jab, stabbing a Soldier. It dissipated as his keyblade stabbed through it, and he turned his lunge into a spin, bisecting another Soldier.

An Air Soldier dashed towards him, and he swiftly spun around it, and then lunged, slashing through the Heartless and one of its fellow Air Soldiers, destroying them both.

Sora quickly counted five Heartless; three Soldiers and two Air Soldiers. Sora struck at a nearby Soldier, beheading it. The two other Soldiers advanced, and he spun around them like he did with the two Air Soldiers, following through with a lunge that killed them instantly.

An Air Soldier slammed into his back and knocked him forward, but he rolled forward and away. He spun around with _Kingdom Key_ extended, bisecting his attacker.

Noticing the last Heartless hovering at the far end of the walkway, he flung his keyblade in a Strike Raid at it, destroying it.

Satisfied that he had finally disposed of every last Heartless, he relaxed and let _Kingdom Key_ vanished. Realizing that the hooded person had escaped, he slowly stepped down the stairs at the end of the walkway and walked into the open area. Walking around a corner, he noticed a narrow alleyway winding behind the shops.

"They must've ran down there…" he said, resting his arms behind his head. "Maybe I shouldn't have chased 'em."

As he moved towards the alley, the sound of footsteps stopped him. A man stepped around the corner as soon as Sora turned. He had silvery hair and eyes, and wore mostly red.

"That was quite impressive," he said, his voice serious. "You wield the keyblade with skill."

"Ah, yeah," Sora said awkwardly. He shook off his confusion with a smile. "I'm Sora."

"Please to meet you, Sora," the man said.

"Um, right," Sora replied. "Hey, did you see that guy running past here?"

"In the black coat?" The man asked. Sora nodded. "Yes. You see a lot of them sneaking around town every once and a while. He is probably already gone."

"Ah," Sora replied. "Also, have you seen my friends? A tall guy named Riku and a red-headed girl named Kairi?"

"Not personally," the man said. "But some of my comrades are searching for them as we speak, I believe."

"Where can I find them?"

"You have to head back through the First District," the man said, turning and pointing towards the doors Sora had passed through earlier. "The southwest gate leads to the backstreets. They eventually lead north, towards Central District. That is where my comrades should take your friend."

"Ah," Sora said. A long moment passed as Sora mulled over the strange man's words. A thought occurred to him. "Wait, did you come here to find me?"

"Correct."

"Oh."

"Follow me," the man said, walking past Sora.

The man led Sora back towards where Sora had awoken. As they walked down the narrow path, the man gestured behind them.

"Notice that."

Sora glanced over his shoulder. The silhouetted shape of some Shadow Heartless moved about on top of a building at the far end of the area.

"The Heartless have been prowling the streets of Traverse Town," the man explained. "It makes it dangerous to be in most parts of town. We have a method to repel them from certain areas."

"What is it?"

"I will show you."

They entered the area the man called the First District. He summoned a sword in much the same manner as Sora did his keyblade and walked over to the streetlamp the person has been standing under earlier. He tapped the light with the tip of his weapon. The sword flash and the light glowed in response.

"These are a type of magic crystal. They repel the Heartless."

"That's neat," Sora said. "Do you use smaller ones to keep away Heartless when traveling?"

"No," the man said. "Most who travel the streets can fight off the Heartless. That _is_ a good idea, however."

They carried on, heading down the stairs and towards the gate the man had spoken of. The gate opened into a shadowy backstreet. It was more like an alleyway, as the buildings sat with their backs to the street, and the stood high over the streets.

The two headed down the dark street, passing under a tall bridge. It was exceptionally quiet, the only sounds being their footsteps resounding of the stone walls. The man paused at every corner and intersection, quietly scanning them for something.

"This town is strange," Sora said. The man grunted in agreement.

"It is very old," he said. "Not one of these structures are made by the hands of man."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"When a world falls to the darkness, this world is where the survivors find themselves," the man answered. "It rests between the realms of light and darkness, cast in perpetual night. Nobody built it, at least nobody I have ever met."

"Ah," Sora replied, placated. "Say. I don't think I ever got your name."

"No, I do not believe you did."

They walked on for a minute before Sora realized the man had no intentions of introducing himself. Sora quietly tensed himself for action, his right hand twitching, ready summon _Kingdom Key_.

"You find is suspicious that I have not given you my name," the man said. Sora blinked at his words, startled. "I understand. However, I am your ally, so you need not worry."

"So, you don't have a name, or somethin'?"

"It is a complicated situation. You need not concern yourself with it."

"Well, okay," Sora said. _Weird…_

The man suddenly stopped his stride and a minute later Heartless surrounded them, a mix of Soldiers, Air Soldiers and Shadows. _Kingdom Key_ flashed into existence in Sora's hand.

"I'll take these guys," Sora said, pointing to the Heatless coming from behind them. Sora saw the man nod slight, and then launch himself into the Heartless.

"Alright guys," Sora said, addressing the Heartless. "Bring it on."

Several Shadows rushed him, but with a few swings of his keyblade, they were destroyed. Barely sparing them a thought, he brought _Kingdom Key_ up and struck forward, cutting down a Soldier.

In the midst of his enemies, he swung his keyblade in a broad arc, catching several Heartless in one swing. He tossed his foes away from him, scattering the mob.

"Now that I got a little breathing room…" He said, slashing at a nearby Air Soldier. It dodged out of his attack, but he followed up with another slash, connecting with the side of the Air Soldier's head and removing it.

As it disappeared Sora gripped Kingdom Key and swung it down, smashing a Shadow that got close. The battle continued in this manner, Sora easily handling each Heartless around him in one or two blows. The only problem he had, though, was their sheer numbers.

For every one he destroyed, another stepped up to fill its place and more seemed to step out of the shadows to join in the attack.

Worse yet, after a few minutes a new type of Heartless joined the fray. There were only two of them (at that moment), but they were obvious. The appeared to be a bloated version of the Soldier Heartless he had been fighting. They stood tall and were rotund, with ball shaped bodies. They had thick, club-like arms that they swung around to attack him and they were immune to frontal attacks, his strikes harmlessly bouncing off their stomachs. Their large bodies (_That's what I'll call 'em! Large Bodies!_) clogged the narrow street, preventing him from slipping behind them.

"I've got it!" He declared. Dispatching a Shadow with and lazy swipe, he dashed forward and leapt, colliding blade-first with an Air Soldier. He pushed off the Heartless and vaulted at the nearby wall, kicking off of it. He flew over the Large Bodies in the same manner he had pursued the large Heartless back on Destiny Islands.

He only leapt far enough to get behind the Large Bodies, so he redirected the magic he used to fly through the air towards _Kingdom Key_, causing him to arc down behind his enemies. He cleaved through a slow Air Soldier and slammed into the ground, releasing the magic in a shockwave.

The blast wiped out the smaller Heartless and staggered the Large Bodies. He capitalized on the advantage and struck their vulnerable backs. He was correct in thinking that they were less defensive at their backs, because the one he attack toppled forward. A leaping, downward swing ended the fallen Heartless.

The other Large Body had recovered and turned on him, but he slipped under its slow punch and struck at its back. One of his slashes struck its head, and the monster died almost instantly.

Grinning at his victory, he turned to seek out the remaining Heartless, but his good mood dropped almost immediately. His fighting had gradually led him back down the street, to the otherside of the bridge they passed under. The archway was blocked off by three of the lumbering Large Bodies.

_I could probably get over them again,_ he thought, considering his options. _But I don't think I can take all of them out without them turning on me…_

Before he could act, though, blades of bright, reddish-gold light struck the Large Bodies from behind. The Heartless all succumbed to the attack, and the blades of light carried on, seeking out and striking several other Heartless.

The source of the attack was the man. He stood facing Sora, his blade extended forward and gripped with both hands. He had battle hardened look of concentration, and Sora guessed it was because of the attack he just launched.

More Heartless appearing around the man shattered his concentration and he reacted instantly, slicing through a Soldier. Another Large Body appeared near the man, but instead of attacking it directly, he gestured sharply with his off hand and a wave of silvery-white light shot forth, cutting the Large Body cleanly in two.

"That's a good idea…" Sora said dumbly. He had not thought to use magic to fight off the Heartless, but it made a fair amount of sense. The man was using light magic too, which worked way better to dispose of the dark creatures than anything.

The element of light naturally opposed the element of darkness. It was ideal for countering creatures and forms of darkness, but few could use it effectively. Channeling the element directly was the most effective use of its power, but most could not do that.

Several classes of spells where created to tap into the light. Because it was such a strong element, certain people used different classes better than others.

The man channeled it directly; obvious from the fact he crafted not only a cutting wave but also forming constructs. Sora could not quite channel it as well as the man did. More often than channeling, he used one of the several classes of spell, namely the "Spark" family of spells. It suited him, as the Spark spells formed crystals of light that struck out at his target, giving Sora time to follow up with another attack.

All this information ran through his head in the seconds it took him to form and cast a Spark. The flashing crystals shot out and struck the Heartless, destroying the weaker and stunning the stronger. His follow up attacks dispelled the remaining with ease.

(As all this information flowed through his mind, and as he focused on the fight, he could not shake the thought that Riku was his opposite as far as fighting styles went.)

In a few short minutes, the tides of the battle had turned. The Heartless which swarmed them had been dispersed and no new ones joined in the attack. Sora met up with the man, and with a cursory glance around the area, they continued on.

"You're pretty strong," Sora stated to his companion. "You use light magic pretty well."

"The light has always been my ally," the man stated. "You use it as well, I noticed. Although…"

"Huh?"

"The light you tapped into…" the man said, then paused. "It almost seems that you have been corrupted by the power of darkness in the past."

Sora froze. "Really?"

"It is of no real concern," the man stated. He turned and continued walking down the street, but Sora did not follow. He stared down at his weapon hand.

_I used the darkness? But, what does that…?_

The man, apparently noticing that Sora was not following, stopped and turned to him. He retraced his steps and stopped before Sora.

"There is _the_ darkness," he began. "The darkness that threatens the realm of light. It threatens the natural harmony of our reality, and it is the thing that should not be. It is wickedness and corruption and a vile thing. It is these Heartless which desire to consume our world, this realm of light. The _power_ of darkness, of the shadows, is simply that: power, a weapon to be used. Those corrupted by _the_ darkness may use the _power_ of darkness, but not necessarily."

"But… I don't remember. I woke up a few days ago," Sora replied. "How do I know I haven't been corrupted?"

"You do not remember your past, yet you understand the ramifications of what I say, which speaks well of you," the man replied. "There is much _I_ do not remember, but I do not let that worry me. And besides."

He turned away and looked down the street. "Your light is strong, as is your heart. You would not have that keyblade if you were truly corrupted. All your questions and worries shall doubtlessly be answered in time," he reassured. He glanced back at Sora and nodded sharply. "Come, your friends are waiting."

Sora looked back at him and returned his nod, smiling. "Right. And thanks."

A feeling of cold and dread washed over Sora, and he glanced up towards the sky. Waves of the darkness shadowed the stars. He called _Kingdom Key_, and the weapon appeared.

"It is now a time for action," the man stated, reading his sword. "That also being our destination, let us make haste."

"Couldn't agree more," Sora said.

* * *

Fin

A/N: Sorry for the wait (not that anybody's actually waiting for this). My editor, Wings And a Halo, was busy all last week. Not much to say about this chapter. Any and all reviews are appreciated.


	7. Chapter VII: Midnight City

**Midnight City**

_Darkness, moving and flowing like polluted waters, pooled around him, swallowing him. He tried to escape, but it immobilized him. Slowly sinking into the inky sea, he opened his mouth to call out, but found he could not utter a sound._

_The darkness swallowed his head at last and just as he started to suffocate…_

Riku awoke gasping for breath, his vision blurry. He rubbed his eyes and struggled to his feet. After finally opening eyes, he thought he had lost his sight or that he really had been swallowed by darkness, before realizing that he stood in a narrow, shadowed alleyway.

_What was that…?_ Riku thought. His breathing was heavy, exhausted almost. He took a deep breath through his nose and was immediately assaulted by a plethora of noxious scents. He lost his balance and nearly collapsed before he caught himself on the wall.

"That's right," he said. "Forgot about that…"

After regaining his senses and being extra sure not to breathe in too deeply, he glanced around. He stood at a crossroads in the dark alley, each of the four paths obscured in darkness. He could see stars in the sky, but most of the sky was blocked by clouds. The walls around him where relatively low to the ground, probably one story, he guessed. Although he could make out windows, none were illuminated from the inside.

As he deliberated about which path to take, he spied a particularly low hanging roof over a narrow alley, the opposite wall rising above it several feet. He eyed it several moments before dashing towards it, kicking off the lower wall, then the higher one and finally landing in a crouch on the roof with a smooth flip.

He took a moment to scan the area. While it was still quite dark, he was no longer shadowed by the narrow alleys. Moonlight shone through some of the clouds, illuminating some areas. The roofs of many buildings extended far into the night.

Finding what he was hoping for, a makeshift road made up of roofs that hung over narrow streets and dark alleys, he stood up and ran across the roof. As he neared the edge, he leapt and landed another nearby building.

An ominous feeling washing over him, he summoned Way to the Dawn and bisected one of the shadow creatures that had attempted to sneak up on him.

"I think I remember what you guys are now," Riku said conversationally to his foes, which now surrounded him. "You're Heartless, and I think Sora used to call you guys Shadows."

Temporarily disregarding how he knew that, he launched an attack on another Shadow, destroying it. Using the momentum of his attack, he spun around and destroyed three of the Shadows.

Slicing a Shadow out of the air, he raised his hand and whispered.

"Dark," he said, uttering the name of his spell. Bluish-black spheres shot from his hand and struck the remaining few Shadows, obliterating them.

Lowering his weapon, he glanced around, searching for more foes. Satisfied that he had disposed of them, he let _Way to the Dawn_ vanish.

"Shadows…" he said, letting his gaze wander to the clouds. _It must be some of my memories returning… One moment I had no idea what was going on, then it just… came to me…_

Satisfied with his epiphany, he resumed his trek across the rooftops. Encountering no resistance along the way, he finally reached a dead end, of sorts. The buildings rose a few stories above the roof he was on.

_I wonder how Sora and Kairi are faring_, he thought as he examined the buildings for a viable means of ascent. _Are they somewhere else in this town? Fighting the Heartless? Are they even on this world?_

Finally spying a way to the next roof, he leapt off the building, triggering the movement magic he used back on Destiny Islands as he flew through the air. He kicked off the corner of one building and ricocheted towards its neighbor, repeating the process twice before launching himself high into the air.

Letting the magic fade, he twisted his body to land on one of the buildings below. As he fell through the sky, almost leisurely, a bright, white-hot plume of fire shot up out of one of the alleyways several buildings away from him.

Rolling into a landing on the rooftop, he scanned the area for where the fire plume was. A few seconds later two more plumes burst into existence, in roughly the same direction as before.

Quickly summoning _Way to the Dawn_, he leapt from the roof to the next as more bursts of fire illuminated the night. He observed as he leapt that the bursts moved slowly away from him.

As he neared his destination, he noticed the streets below start to widen. Leaping off the last roof, he landed in the middle of a crossroads filled with Heartless.

He brought his weapon up just as a helmeted Heartless lunged at him, red claws first. Catching the claws on the blade of Way to the Dawn, he swung the monster around, slinging it into the horde of Heartless.

Another burst of fire lit up the area, and Riku barely caught glimpse of a silhouetted person. Before he could see more, the Heartless attacked.

Reacting on reflex and instinct, he slashed his way through his attackers. The Heartless, composed of Shadows, more of the clawed kind that attacked him and their flying variants, proved very little threat on their own but their numbers challenged him.

Flipping over an incoming attack from an aerial foe, he sliced it in half midair and spun his weapon around.

"Strike Raid," he grit out as he tossed his keyblade through a group of Heartless, killing them. Recalling his weapon, he knocked away an attacking Heartless and beheaded another. He recited the incantation for a spell and stones rose up from the ground, surrounding him. With a swing of his free arm and a shout of 'stone', the rocks shot outward, destroying or scattering his attackers and giving him breathing room.

Another burst of heat and light washed over Riku as a fireball exploded somewhere behind him. Whoever had been casting the powerful fire magic was helping him fight off the considerable horde of Heartless. He had not, however, seen the person after the brief glimpse at the start of the battle.

A strange shifting noise drew Riku's attention back towards his attackers, and he noticed that the smaller Shadows near him had all slipped into the darkness furthest from the light. The larger Heartless froze and then vanished into portals of darkness.

"What?" He said. Just as he started lowering _Way to the Dawn_, thinking that his adversaries had retreated, he heard a sound, like a cross between a creak and a slither, and a large, shadowy hand flew out of the darkness and grabbed him, lighting Riku into the air.

He hollered in pain as it squeezed him, then it slung his body around and tossed him across the street. As he pushed himself up and recalled his keyblade (which he had dropped in the attack), he glanced at the arm. It was quite long, reaching out of a dark alleyway and halfway across the street. It was also spindly, looking like a bone or a tree branch in shape. Odd shadowy tendrils stuck out from various parts of the arm as it swung in the air in a spastic manner.

Riku could make out a strange, writhing silhouette in the darkness where the arm disappeared, but before he could pull himself up and attack, all of the shadows in the alley seemingly moved forward, like a blob of darkness, and another arm slithered out, this one more fluid in appearance. Several Shadow Heartless, but larger, more human sized, rose from the ground.

Riku brought his weapon up and lunged for one of the Shadows, slashing it across the torso. More resilient than its smaller brethren, it did not dissipate, so Riku slashed it three more times before it faded. Seeing motion in the corner of his eye, he rolled to the side just as the arms shot overhead. He leapt up and fought off an approaching Shadow as the dark creature loomed over him.

A flash of fire incinerated a Shadow, and he saw the arms writhe. He heard what sounded like something hitting someone followed be a female cry of pain, and he realized he was about to meet his elusive comrade.

Dispatching another Shadow, he turned to face the arms and leapt up, striking the joint of one arm with his keyblade. He cleaved the arm of easily and it struck the ground and flailed about.

_Wait for it…_ Riku thought as he watched it. A second later it spun around and slithered towards him like a snake. _Knew it!_

But he was prepared, for just as it turned on him his palm was extended out and he chanted a spell. Lightning flew forward and struck the arm, causing it to spasm and dissipate.

He heard an unearthly scream as the shadow creature reacted to its arm being destroyed. Just as he turned towards it, a fireball struck the form and exploded. Leaping back away from the flames, he watched as the shadow coiled away from the fire, its remaining arm flailing madly.

Glancing sidelong at his helper, he could tell it was a girl, or woman, of small stature, but the intense darkness of night and the harsh light from the flames obscured her.

Refocusing on the monster, he noticed that a Shadow had crept towards him. Dispatching it, he watched as the shadow creature, now forming itself into a coil-like shape. It lashed out, striking at him and the girl like a whip. Riku leapt away, dodging the shadow tentacle, but the girl slid under the attack, slashing upwards with a glowing, silvery-white sword, taking off the monsters appendage. His hand shot out, but the girl already blasted the falling piece with a ball of fire.

The monster wailed again, and he gazed over at it. It had reformed itself, splitting and extending two long whip-like tentacles attached together at a shadowy ball shape that now floated in the air.

It suddenly spun, whipping its appendages around and tossing both Riku and the girl across the battlefield. As he slid along the ground, he saw at the base of the head where the limbs met two glowing, yellow eyes. Turning his slide into a roll and then a flip, he brought his weapon up and charged.

"Hold off the arms!" He hollered to his ally. "I've got a plan!"

One of the tendrils lashed at him as he rushed forward, and he cut it off halfway. Ignoring the dismembered part, he rolled underneath the main body just as the girl cut the other limb with a blade of flame.

"Strike Raid!" He cried as he tossed Way to the Dawn up at his foe. It spun through and cleaved in half the monster. It wailed a last time as it flailed about and finally perished in a wisp of shadow.

"Well, glad that's over with," Riku said, releasing a breath. The area lit up and the sound of crackling fire met his ears. Turning, he noticed his companion had lit a fireball on her fingertips and was holding it out, like a lantern. He had trouble making out her features in the firelight.

"Thanks for the help," she said, her voice mild. "My name is Terra Branford."

"I'm Riku," he said. "No problem. You mind if I ask where I am?"

"You're in Traverse Town," she said lightly. "Where did you come from, do you remember? Some drifters like you don't remember much."

"Umm, Destiny Islands," Riku answered. "But it's- never mind. What do you mean by drifter?"

"Well, when the Heartless consume a world, the survivors find themselves here, in Traverse Town," Terra said. "It's a strange town, and not all of its districts, like this one, are inhabited. Sometimes the Heartless are so prevalent that it's dangerous."

"So where are all the people then?"

"Safer places," she answered. "We have ways to ward the Heartless, but we try to be cautious."

"If it's dangerous, what are you doing out here?" Riku asked. "What do you do, exactly?"

"My friends and I are…" Terra paused for a moment. "Not from this world. Or any world, really. It's a long story. But we found this place by accident and made it our home. We're all veterans of a war that happened far away, so when the Heartless attacked we protected the townspeople. After that we became caretakers and guardians of the town."

"That doesn't explain why you're out here, though," Riku said after a thoughtful moment.

"Oh, well, I came to find you, actually," Terra said. "And speaking of which, we should get going before more Heartless arrive."

Riku nodded and followed Terra, who had moved towards a narrow street. Illuminated by firelight, she guided him through the winding, narrow streets. No Heartless plagued them, but Riku brought his weapon out as a precaution.

"Are you sure we're not lost?" He asked after making another turn. He had lost track of where he was going a while ago, considering all the streets look the same in the darkness.

Terra giggled lightly. "Don't worry. This part of town is like a maze. It's easy to get lost in, and I'm trying to avoid the Heartless."

"Seems convoluted."

"It is, but there's a particular route that the Heartless avoid for whatever reason."

"What about the rooftops? It's how I found you," Riku said.

"Fast, but the Heartless crowd them a lot. Some of the really dangerous ones can be found there."

The continued on in silence for a while more, and Riku started picking up a subtle pattern in their path. They traveled in one general direction, but never cut in a straight line, instead weaving and curving back and forth. The street was very narrow and often uninterrupted, save for the dwindling number of turns, with no crossroads or alleys jutting off to the side. The walls were very high in some areas. Whenever Terra reached a crossroad, she would pause and inspect it almost nervously before continuing.

"It's almost like it's hidden," Riku said under his breath, so quiet Terra did not react.

After a while longer (Riku was not sure how long, exactly; he had lost any sense of time he had) the street led them to an archway. Terra stopped within sight of it and dispelled her flame, practically blinding them.

After a few minutes, once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Terra asked with a whisper: "Are your eyes adjusted?"

"Yeah," he whispered in reply. He could barely make out her silhouette.

She slowly crept towards the opening and led them out, into a wide plaza. A fountain sat in the center and gurgled rhythmically. A light illuminated a spot at the far end of the plaza, hanging from another archway. She moved quietly and cautiously but swiftly towards it.

When they finally crossed the area, Terra visibly relaxed. "What a relief," she said. "It should be safer from here on. Can you help me close the gates?"

Realizing that two iron bar gates sat open either side of the archway, he nodded. A few minutes and an ominous creak later and they closed them. As Terra locked it, Riku inspected the area. It was brighter, with periodic streetlamps lighting the much wider streets. Although he could not make out the details of the buildings before, the ones ahead of him seemed far brighter and far less ominous.

With a click, Terra turned back to him. "We should get going," she said. "See that building over there? The big one?"

She pointed. Looking in that direction, he noticed what she was indicating. Although it did not tower over the other roofs, it stood maybe a story or two above them in the distance and was lit up like a beacon. "Yeah."

"That's home."

Just as Riku was about to step towards the building, a pungent smell filled his senses. A second later, a wave of dark energy washed over them and a pillar of darkness shot into the sky near the building. A vile, malicious feeling filled the air and froze Riku in his place.

"This is…" he whispered to himself. Terra, unaffected by the darkness, shouted in surprise and took off towards her home.

Riku, still paralyzed, stared ahead at the dark pillar. He closed his eyes and inhaled, kicking in his dark senses. It was far more obvious, but he focused through it. Several bright lights shone through the oppressive gloom. All but one light, which glowed so bright that it knocked him out of his paralysis.

Resolved, he lifted _Way to the Dawn_ and took off after Terra.

* * *

Fin

**Author's Notes:** Well. That was one long wait. I apologize, but I had the worst case of writer's block. I was dreading trying to write Riku. And I still didn't, I guess.

Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated.


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